Shloka 14
बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency
Mahābhārata 12.217
श्रियं दिव्यामभिप्रेप्सुर्वर्ष्मान् मनसा शुचि: । शारीरैनियमैश्ग्रैक्षरेन्नरिष्कल्मषं तप:
śriyaṃ divyām abhiprepsur varṣmān manasā śuciḥ | śārīra-niyamaiś ca ugraiḥ caret niriṣkalmaṣaṃ tapaḥ ||
毗湿摩曰：“凡欲求得天赐之荣光——至上的灵性成就——当先净其心。既居此身，当严守身行之戒律，修习无垢之苦行（tapas），使之成为通向更高证悟的清净资粮。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
To reach the highest spiritual good, one must purify the mind and support that inner purity with disciplined bodily observances; austerity should be ‘niriṣkalmaṣa’—free from ego, harm, and moral stain—so it becomes a legitimate means toward realization.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he emphasizes the ethical foundation of spiritual pursuit: aspiration for the divine must be matched by mental purity and rigorous, blameless practice.