parityajeyaṁ trailokyaṁ rājyaṁ deveṣu vā punaḥ |
yadvāpy adhikam etābhyāṁ na tu satyaṁ kathañcana ||
tyajec ca pṛthivī gandham āpaś ca rasam ātmanaḥ |
jyotis tathā tyajed rūpaṁ vāyuḥ sparśa-guṇaṁ tyajet ||
prabhāṁ samutsṛjed arko dhūmaketus tathoṣṇatām |
tyajec chabdaṁ tathākāśaḥ somaḥ śītāṁśutāṁ tyajet ||
vikramaṁ vṛtrahā jahyād dharmaṁ jahyāc ca dharmarāṭ |
na tv ahaṁ satyam utsraṣṭuṁ vyavaseyaṁ kathañcana ||
(Mahābhārata: 1.97.15–18)
“[Bhīṣmadeva insisting to his mother Satyavatī that he will not break his vow of not begetting children:] I shall renounce the three worlds, an empire among the devas, or even anything greater than these, but never by any means my vow. The earth may give up its fragrance, and water its own taste. Similarly, light may give up its form, and air may give up the quality of touch. Similarly, the sun may cease to emit light and fire [cease to emit] heat. Similarly, the sky may give up sound, and the moon may give up having cooling rays. The slayer of Vṛtra [i.e., Indra] may abandon valor, the king of dharma [i.e., Yama] may abandon dharma, but I shall never resolve by any means to abandon my vow.”
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