PENANCE-TAPAH (तपः)

SUBHASHITHAM:127

अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् |
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते || 15|| Bhagavad Gita

anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ cha yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate

BG 17.15: Words that do not cause distress, are truthful, inoffensive, and beneficial, as well as the regular recitation of the Vedic scriptures—these are declared as the austerity of speech

 ( Vaak tapas ).

मन: प्रसाद: सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रह: |
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते || 16||

manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ
bhāva-sanśhuddhir ity etat tapo mānasam uchyate

BG 17.16: Serenity of thought, gentleness, silence, self-control, and purity of purpose—all these are declared as the austerity of the mind (Maanasa tapas ).

உற்றநோய் நோன்றல் உயிர்க்குறுகண் செய்யாமை
அற்றே தவத்திற் குரு. Kural-261
The nature of religious discipline consists, in the endurance (by the ascetic) of the sufferings which it brings on himself, and in abstaining from giving pain to others.
नास्ति विद्या समं चक्षु नास्ति सत्य समं तप:।

 नास्ति राग समं दुखं नास्ति त्याग समं सुखं॥
Nasti vidhyaa samam chakshuh naasti satya samam tapah INaasti raga samam dukham naasti tyaga samam sukham II

There is no vision equivalent to knowledge; there is no austerity equivalent to truthfulness; no suffering equivalent to attachment, and there is no bliss equivalent to renunciation.

अहिंसा परमो धर्मः, अहिंसा परमो तपः। 
अहिंसा परमो सत्यं यतो धर्मः प्रवर्तते।
Ahimsaa paramo dharmah, ahimsaa paramo tapah IAhimsaa paramo satyam, yato dharmah pravartate II
Non-violence is supreme dharma, non-violence is supreme penance (tapah ) . Non-violence.is the supreme truth and non-violence helps growth of dharma .

आचारः परमो धर्म आचारः परमं तपः।

आचारः परमं ज्ञानमाचरात् किं न साध्यते॥

Practicing scriptural injunctions  is the highest dharma (sacred duty), greatest penance, superior knowledge. What is that which can't be achieved through such practicing.

यथाश्व रथहीनास्तु रथो वाश्वैर्यथा विना ।
एवं तपोऽप्यविद्यस्य विद्यवाऽप्यतपस्विनः ॥  Atri Smrti

Just like horses without chariot and chariot without horses are useless, knowledge and penance are useless without each other.

यथान्नं मधुसंयुक्तं मधुवान्येन संयुतम् ।
एवं तपश्च विद्या च संयुक्तं भेषजं महत् ॥

When food is mixed with honey or when honey is mixed with anything else, it makes a good medicine. Just like that a combination of penance and knowledge is a good medicine capable of curing anything.

तपः परं कृतयुगे त्रेतायां ज्ञानमुच्यते ।
द्वापरे यज्ञमेवाहुर्दानमेव कलौ युगे ॥

Tapah param kruta yuge thretaayam gyaanam uchyate I

Dvaapare yagyamevaahur daanameva kalau yuge II

Penance is the best way to live in the Kruta Yuga. In Treta yuga, attaining knowledge was the best way. In Dwapara Yuga, performing religious rituals was the way . In Kali Yuga (present day) donating generously to the needy is the only right way to live.

तपः शौचं दया सत्यं इति पादाः कृते कृताः ।
अधर्मांशैस्त्रयो भग्नाः स्मयसंगमदैस्तव ॥

Tapah saucham dayaa satyam iti paadaah krute krutaah I

Adharmaamshair trayo bhagnaah smayasamgamadaistava II

Penance, cleanliness, compassion and truth were the feet on which the Kruta Yuga world stood. By the influence of adharma  three of them are destroyed in (kali )present time.

एवमाचारतो दृष्ट्वा धर्मस्य मुनयो गतिम् ।
सर्वस्य तपसो मूलं आचारं जगृहुः परम् ॥  Manusmruti

Righteous living is the basis of dharma - the moral code of life. The sages have known this for ever. So they say that every penance has its root in righteous living.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH