Shloka 20
Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha
Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context
आसीनमाश्रमे तत्र जैगीषव्यमपश्यत । न व्याहरति चैवेनं जैगीषव्य: कथंचन
āsīnam āśrame tatra jaigīṣavyam apaśyata | na vyāharati caivainaṃ jaigīṣavyaḥ kathaṃcana ||
Vaiśampāyana said: There, seated in the hermitage, he saw Jaigīṣavya. Yet Jaigīṣavya did not address him at all—remaining wholly silent. The moment underscores the ascetic discipline of restraint in speech, where silence can signify inner absorption, detachment, or deliberate non-engagement rather than discourtesy.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint of speech as an ascetic virtue: silence (mauna) can be a form of discipline and detachment, indicating inward focus and freedom from impulsive engagement.
A visitor arrives at a hermitage and sees the sage Jaigīṣavya seated there, but the sage does not speak to him in any manner, maintaining complete silence.