Shloka 48
पश्चिमदिशि अन्वेषणादेशः
Instructions for the Western Search Party
यत्र तिष्ठति धर्मज्ञस्तपसा स्वेन भावितः।मेरुसावर्णिरित्येव ख्यातो वै ब्रह्मणा समः।।4.42.48।।
yatra tiṣṭhati dharmajñas tapasā svena bhāvitaḥ | merusāvarṇir ity eva khyāto vai brahmaṇā samaḥ || 4.42.48 ||
Dort weilt Merusāvarṇi, kundig der Dharma, durch seine eigene Askese geläutert, wahrlich berühmt als Brahmā ebenbürtig.
'The sage Merusavarna, knower of dharma, famous for his penance and comparable to Brahma lives there with him on Meru.
FAQs
Dharma is linked with inner discipline: true authority is grounded in tapas (austerity) and dharma-jñāna (knowledge of right conduct), making the sage worthy of trust.
Sugrīva describes a venerable sage on the route and signals him as a reliable source of guidance for the search mission.
Spiritual credibility—being ‘dharmajña’ and ‘tapasā bhāvita’—the virtue of self-cultivation that commands respect.