Shloka 6
वसिष्ठ-प्रशंसा
Vasiṣṭha as Purohita: Ascetic Mastery and Royal Counsel
ततः प्रभृति रक्षांसि तत्र सौम्यानि भारत | नगरे प्रत्यदृश्यन्त नरैर्नगरवासिभि:,भारत! तबसे नगरनिवासी मनुष्योंने अपने नगरमें राक्षसोंकों बड़े सौम्य स्वभावका देखा
tataḥ prabhṛti rakṣāṃsi tatra saumyāni bhārata | nagare pratyadṛśyanta narair nagaravāsibhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “From that time onward, O Bhārata, the Rākṣasas there appeared gentle in disposition; the townspeople saw them openly within the city.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral shift: even those regarded as dangerous (Rākṣasas) can become ‘saumya’—gentle and socially visible—suggesting that conduct and harmony can change through circumstances, restraint, or righteous influence.
After a prior turning point in the story, the Rākṣasas in that region are no longer hidden or threatening; they are seen by the townspeople within the city and are described as mild in behavior.