तपसा स हिदीप्तोऽभूत्त्रैलोक्यदहनात्मकः । स च वव्रे वधं दैत्यः शिशतः सप्तवासरात्
tapasā sa hidīpto'bhūttrailokyadahanātmakaḥ | sa ca vavre vadhaṃ daityaḥ śiśataḥ saptavāsarāt
Wahrlich, durch Askese loderte er auf, mit der Macht, die drei Welten zu verbrennen. Und jener Dämon erbat als ihm bestimmte Todesart: dass sie von einem Kind komme, das erst sieben Tage alt sei.
Brahmā (Svayambhū), speaking to the Devas
Scene: A blazing ascetic demon (Tāraka) performing fierce tapas, radiating heat as if scorching the three worlds, while he petitions for a peculiar death-condition: only a seven-day-old child can slay him.
Tapas amplifies power, but without dharma it becomes destructive; divine justice often works through seemingly impossible conditions.
No tīrtha is referenced; this verse explains the boon-mechanism behind Tāraka’s downfall.
Tapas (austerity) is mentioned descriptively, not as a prescription for the listener.