Shloka 46
Vena’s Inquiry into Pitṛ-tīrtha: Pippala’s Austerity, the Vidyādhara Boon, and the Crane’s Rebuke of Pride
वर्षाणां तु सहस्राणि यावत्त्रीणि त्वया तपः । समाचीर्णं ततो गर्वं कुरुषे किं मुधा द्विज
varṣāṇāṃ tu sahasrāṇi yāvattrīṇi tvayā tapaḥ | samācīrṇaṃ tato garvaṃ kuruṣe kiṃ mudhā dvija
Dreitausend Jahre hast du Askese geübt; warum gibst du dich dann vergeblich dem Hochmut hin, o Brahmane?
Unspecified (context needed to identify the dialogue pair precisely)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yāvattrīṇi → yāvat-trīṇi (yāvat as limiter + numeral).
FAQs
It warns that even long and sincere austerity becomes spiritually unproductive if it leads to pride; true tapas should culminate in humility and self-mastery.
“Mudhā” implies fruitlessness: when penance inflates ego rather than purifying it, the intended inner transformation is undermined.
“Dvija” (“twice-born”) is a respectful address for a brāhmaṇa (or initiated person), emphasizing that one who is spiritually initiated is especially expected to avoid arrogance.