Shloka 8
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
सा तु तप्त्वा तपो घोरें दुश्चरं सत्रीजनेन ह । गता स्वर्ग महाभागा देवब्राद्मणपूजिता
sā tu taptvā tapo ghoraṁ duścaraṁ strījanena ha | gatā svargaṁ mahābhāgā devabrāhmaṇapūjitā ||
But she, having undertaken a fierce and difficult austerity—one rarely borne by women—attained heaven. Fortunate and honored, she was revered by the gods and by the brāhmaṇas, her life standing as a testament to the moral power of disciplined self-restraint and pious conduct.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that rigorous self-discipline (tapas), even when socially considered difficult, generates spiritual merit and leads to exalted states; honor from gods and brāhmaṇas signals alignment with dharma and recognized moral excellence.
Vaiśampāyana reports that a particular woman performed severe, difficult austerities and, as a result, attained heaven, becoming revered by both divine beings and brāhmaṇas.