Shloka 20
Sarasvatī-Śāpavimokṣa, Rākṣasa-Mokṣa, and Aruṇā-Tīrtha
Indra–Namuci Expiation
सा तस्य वचन श्र॒ुत्वा ज्ञात्वा पापं चिकीर्षितम् वसिष्ठस्य प्रभावं च जानन्त्यप्रतिमं भुवि
sā tasya vacanaṃ śrutvā jñātvā pāpaṃ cikīrṣitam | vasiṣṭhasya prabhāvaṃ ca jānanty apratimaṃ bhuvi ||
Hearing his words, she understood the sinful deed he intended to commit; and, knowing the unrivalled power of Vasiṣṭha upon the earth, she responded with that awareness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical discernment: recognizing an intended wrongdoing (pāpa) and weighing it against the known spiritual authority and consequences associated with a great sage’s power (Vasiṣṭha’s prabhāva). Intention is treated as morally significant, not only the completed act.
A woman hears a man’s proposal or statement and, from it, perceives that he is planning a sinful act. At the same time, she is mindful of Vasiṣṭha’s incomparable potency in the world, which frames her understanding of the situation and its likely consequences.