Adhyaya 61 — Avanti Narrative
एवं गते तु पश्येयं यदि कञ्चित् तपोनिधिम् ।
स ममोपदिशेन्मार्गं गमनाय गृhaं प्रति ॥
evaṃ gate tu paśyeyaṃ yadi kañcit taponidhim | sa mamopadiśen mārgaṃ gamanāya gṛhaṃ prati ||
«إن كان الأمر على ما هو عليه، فلو استطعتُ أن أرى ناسكًا عظيمًا، كأنه كنزُ الزهد والتقشّف (التَّبَس)، لعلّمه لي طريقَ الرجوع إلى الديار».
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
When ordinary competence fails, one turns to realized persons. The verse affirms tapas as a marker of trustworthy guidance and the social role of ascetics as counselors.
Ākhyāna: a narrative hinge that prepares the entry of a significant character (here, the apsaras Varūthinī soon appears).
‘Going home’ can double as returning to one’s spiritual source (ātma-sthāna). The sought ‘taponidhi’ represents higher insight that reorients the seeker.