Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
ततः सर्वास्तदा लोकान् ब्राह्मणो$नुचचार ह । कुण्डधारप्रसादेन तपसा सिद्धिमागत:
tataḥ sarvāstadā lokān brāhmaṇo'nucacāra ha | kuṇḍadhāraprasādena tapasā siddhimāgataḥ ||
随后,那位婆罗门凭借军荼陀罗的恩泽,以苦行(tapas)成就了灵性功德,遂得以周游诸世界。
भीष्म उवाच
Austerity (tapas) bears fruit as genuine spiritual accomplishment (siddhi) when grounded in dharma and supported by the grace (prasāda) of the virtuous; attainment is portrayed as the result of disciplined practice and rightful blessing, not mere ambition.
Bhīṣma narrates that a brāhmaṇa, having gained siddhi through tapas and through Kuṇḍadhāra’s favor, then traversed all the worlds—signaling the expansive reach or freedom that follows spiritual perfection.