Shloka 58

Devanagari script

स तपस्तीव्रमातस्थे शिशिरं गिरिमास्थित: । ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्महातेजा ज्वलनादित्यसंनिभ:,अग्नि और सूर्यके समान महातेजस्वी उन भगवान्‌ नारायणने हिमालय पर्वतपर रहकर अपनी दोनों भुजाएँ ऊपर उठाये हुए बड़ी कठोर तपस्या की थी

Transliteration

sa tapastīvram ātasthē śiśiraṁ girim āsthitaḥ | ūrdhvabāhur mahātejā jvalanādityasaṁnibhaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: Dwelling upon the snow-clad mountain, he undertook an exceedingly severe austerity—standing with arms uplifted. Radiant with great spiritual power, he shone like fire and the sun.

Word by Word

सःhe

तपःausterity, penance

तीव्रम्intense, severe

आतस्थेundertook, practiced (he performed)

शिशिरम्in the cold season / winter

गिरिम्mountain

आस्थितःhaving stayed/being stationed (on)

ऊर्ध्वबाहुःwith arms raised upward

महातेजाःof great splendor

ज्वलनादित्यसंनिभःresembling fire and the sun

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Himālaya (implied by śiśiraṁ giri and the Hindi gloss)

Nārāyaṇa (as identified in the accompanying Hindi gloss)

Fire (Agni)

Sun (Āditya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas (austerity) as a source of inner authority and divine radiance: steadfast self-restraint and disciplined practice generate tejas, which supports dharmic purpose beyond mere physical power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes a figure (identified in the Hindi gloss as Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa) residing on a snow-clad mountain—understood as the Himalaya—performing intense austerities with arms raised, blazing in splendor like fire and the sun.