Shloka 19
Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha
Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context
ततः स प्रविशन्नेव स्वमाश्रमपदं मुनि:
tataḥ sa praviśann eva svam āśramapadaṁ muniḥ, kāṣṭhabhūto ’śramapade vasati sma mahātapāḥ |
Then, as the sage entered his own hermitage, he saw Jaigiṣavya seated there. Yet Jaigiṣavya did not speak to him in any way; the great ascetic remained in the hermitage observing a rigid, wood-like silence. The scene underscores the discipline of tapas and the ethical force of restraint—silence here is not mere absence of speech, but a deliberate vow that tests patience and self-control in those who approach.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tapas expressed as disciplined restraint: a deliberate silence (mauna) that cultivates inner control and tests the seeker’s patience and humility. Ethical strength is shown not only in speech and action, but also in the capacity to refrain.
Devala enters his hermitage and sees Jaigiṣavya seated there. Jaigiṣavya remains unmoving and uncommunicative, observing a strict, wood-like silence, and does not respond to Devala.