Shloka 12
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
उग्र॑ तपश्चरसि वै विदिता मे5सि सुव्ते । यदर्थमयमारम्भस्तव कल्याणि हृद्गत:
ugraṁ tapaś carasi vai viditā me 'si suvrate | yadartham ayam ārambhas tava kalyāṇi hṛdgataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “You are indeed practicing severe austerities; you are well known to me, O woman of noble vows. For what purpose has this undertaking arisen in your heart, O auspicious one?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity and vows are ethically meaningful only when guided by a clear, worthy intention; the verse highlights the importance of examining the purpose (artha) behind spiritual discipline.
The narrator-speaker Vaiśampāyana addresses a woman devoted to strict observances, acknowledging her intense tapas and asking what inner resolve or aim has prompted her present undertaking.