Shloka 7
राजसूयविचारः — Deliberation on the Rajasuya and the Summoning of Kṛṣṇa
कि कर्म तेनाचरितं तपो वा नियतव्रत । येनासौ सह शक्रेण स्पर्द्धते सुमहायशा:
ki karma tenācaritaṃ tapo vā niyatavrata | yenāsau saha śakreṇa sparddhate sumahāyaśāḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira asked: “O sage of disciplined vows, what deed did he perform, or what austerity did he undertake, by which—having attained such great renown—he now dares to contend even with Śakra (Indra)?”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse probes the moral and spiritual causes behind extraordinary power and reputation: whether greatness arises from righteous action (karma) or austerity (tapas), and it implicitly questions the propriety of prideful rivalry—even with the gods—highlighting the ethical need to examine the foundations of one’s eminence.
Yudhiṣṭhira, addressing a sage known for strict observances, asks about a celebrated figure being discussed: what practices or penances enabled him to become so illustrious that he is said to compete with Indra himself.