Shloka 22
Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha
Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context
प्रविष्टमाश्रमं चापि पूर्वमेव ददर्श सः । असितो देवलो राजंश्रिन्तयामास बुद्धिमान्
praviṣṭam āśramaṃ cāpi pūrvam eva dadarśa saḥ | asito devalo rājan cintayāmāsa buddhimān ||
Vaiśampāyana said: He saw that the hermitage had already been entered beforehand. O king, the wise Asita Devala then fell again into anxious reflection—disturbed at finding that another had reached the āśrama before him, despite his own great effort and power. The moment underscores how even accomplished ascetics can be tested by subtle pride, rivalry, and the need for self-mastery.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the wise can be shaken by subtle ego—such as anxiety over being surpassed. The verse points to the ethical need for vigilance, humility, and mastery over competitive impulses, especially in spiritual life.
The speaker reports that the hermitage had already been entered by someone earlier. Seeing this, the sage Asita Devala becomes troubled and begins to ponder anxiously, indicating a renewed inner agitation upon encountering an unexpected precedence.