Shloka 42
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
समागम्य स तेनाथ पूजां चक्रे यथाविधि । ब्राह्मण: कुण्डधारस्य विस्मितश्चवाभवन्नूप
samāgamya sa tenātha pūjāṃ cakre yathāvidhi | brāhmaṇaḥ kuṇḍadhārasya vismitaś cābhavannṛpa bharatanandana ||
Bhishma said: Having met him, the Brahmin performed due worship of Kuṇḍadhāra according to the prescribed rites. O king, delight of the Bharatas, on seeing Kuṇḍadhāra the Brahmin was filled with great astonishment—an awe born of encountering the palpable fruit of austerity and the power of goodwill between the two.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic conduct in the presence of spiritual attainment: when one encounters evident tapas and virtue, the proper response is humble reverence and worship according to prescribed norms, recognizing ethical and spiritual excellence rather than reacting with pride or skepticism.
Kuṇḍadhāra grants direct audience/appearance; the Brahmin meets him, performs formal worship as per ritual propriety, and is struck with amazement upon seeing him—signaling the extraordinary nature of the encounter and the perceived potency of ascetic merit.