Shloka 12

Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections

Devanagari script

उग्र॑ तपश्चरसि वै विदिता मे5सि सुव्ते । यदर्थमयमारम्भस्तव कल्याणि हृद्गत:

Transliteration

ugraṁ tapaś carasi vai viditā me 'si suvrate | yadartham ayam ārambhas tava kalyāṇi hṛdgataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wahrlich, du übst strenge Askese; du bist mir wohlbekannt, o Frau von edlen Gelübden. Zu welchem Zweck ist dieses Vorhaben in deinem Herzen entstanden, o Glückverheißende?“

Word by Word

उग्रfierce, intense (O fierce one)

तपःausterity, penance

चरसिyou practice, you perform

वैindeed, surely

विदिताknown

मेto me / of me

असिyou are

सुत्वेin/at (your) good conduct/virtue (reading uncertain)

यत्which, what

अर्थम्purpose, reason

अयम्this

आरम्भःundertaking, effort, beginning

तवyour, of you

कल्याणिO auspicious one

हृद्गतःgone into the heart; in (my) heart

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Austerity and vows are ethically meaningful only when guided by a clear, worthy intention; the verse highlights the importance of examining the purpose (artha) behind spiritual discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator-speaker Vaiśampāyana addresses a woman devoted to strict observances, acknowledging her intense tapas and asking what inner resolve or aim has prompted her present undertaking.