Shloka 7
Umā’s Inquiry and the Manifestation of the Third Eye (उमा–प्रश्नः तृतीयनेत्रोत्पत्तिः)
'थोड़ी-सी तपस्या थोड़े-से दान या छोटे-मोटे नियमोंका पालन करके तुम इस लोकमें नहीं आयी हो। अत: अपनी साधनाके सम्बन्धमें सच्ची-सच्ची बात बताओ' ।।
iti pṛṣṭā sumanayā madhuraṃ cāru-hāsinī | śāṇḍilī nibhṛtaṃ vākyaṃ sumanām idam abravīt ||
Als Sumanā sie auf diese süße Weise fragte, erwiderte Śāṇḍilī — anmutig lächelnd — Sumanā mit sanften, zurückhaltenden Worten und machte sich bereit, wahrheitsgemäß von der geistigen Zucht zu sprechen, durch die sie ihren gegenwärtigen Stand erlangt hatte.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Genuine spiritual attainment is not produced by small, superficial acts; therefore one should speak truthfully and precisely about one’s sādhana (discipline) and its causes, without exaggeration or concealment.
Sumanā questions Śāṇḍilī about the real nature of her practice, implying that her present state could not have arisen from minor austerities or small gifts. Śāṇḍilī, smiling, begins to answer in modest, measured words.