Shloka 24
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
अष्ट भ्यो राजसूयेभ्यो न च तेनाहमागत: । पितामह! यज्ञ और पराक्रममें जो इन्द्रके समान प्रभावशाली थे
Bhagīratha uvāca— Aṣṭabhyo rājasūyebhyo na ca tenāham āgataḥ | Pitāmaha! yajne parākrame ca yo ’ndrasama-prabhāvāḥ, suvarṇa-hāra-śobhitakaṇṭhāḥ, tādṛśān sahasraśo rājñaḥ yuddhe jitvā pracura-dhanena aṣṭau rājasūya-yajñān kṛtvā tad dhanaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo dakṣiṇāyāṃ dattavān; parantu tena puṇyenāpi nāham asmin loke āgataḥ ||
Bhagīratha said: “Even after performing eight Rājasūya sacrifices, I have not attained the goal I sought. O Grandfather! Having conquered in battle thousands of kings—mighty in sacrifice and valor, radiant like Indra, their throats adorned with golden garlands—I amassed abundant wealth, performed eight Rājasūyas, and gave that wealth away to the Brahmins as sacrificial fees. Yet even by that merit I have not reached fulfillment in this world.”
भगीरथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual grandeur, conquest, and even massive charitable giving can still fall short of deeper spiritual fulfillment; the passage highlights the limits of external merit (puṇya) when the sought goal requires a higher or different kind of realization.
Bhagīratha addresses the ‘Grandfather’ and recounts his extraordinary achievements—defeating many kings, performing eight Rājasūya sacrifices, and distributing wealth as priestly fees—yet confesses that these acts have not brought him the attainment he desires, prompting further instruction on dharma.