Shloka 38
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
धर्ममें श्रद्धा रखते हुए दीर्घकालतक उग्र तपस्यामें लगे हुए उस ब्राह्मणको दिव्यदृष्टि प्राप्त हो गयी ।।
dharme śraddhāṃ dhṛtvā dīrghakālam ugratapasyāyāṃ lagnaṃ taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ divyadṛṣṭir avāpa || tasya buddhir prādurāsīd—yadi dadyām ahaṃ dhanam | tuṣṭaḥ kasyacid eveha mithyāvādo na bhaven mama ||
那位婆罗门怀着对法（dharma）的信心，长久修持严厉苦行，遂得天眼。随即他心中生起清明的决断：“若我心满意足，在此世间赐予某人丰厚财宝，那么我所说之言便不会落为空言。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Severe discipline grounded in faith can yield clarity of conscience; one should act so that one’s word remains true—here, by fulfilling an intended promise through generous giving, avoiding the moral fault of false speech.
Bhīṣma describes an ascetic brāhmaṇa who, after long and intense tapas, gains divine sight and then forms a decisive thought: to give substantial wealth to someone so that his spoken commitment will not become false.