Shloka 16
उन्हें इस प्रकार जाते देख समस्त गन्धर्व, अप्सराओंके समुदाय तथा सिद्ध ऋषि-मुनि महान् आश्चर्यमें पड़ गये ।। अन्तरिक्षगत: को<5यं तपसा सिद्धिमागत: । अधःकायोर्थध्ववक्त्रश्ष नेत्रै: समभिरज्यते,और आपसमें कहने लगे--“तपस्यासे सिद्धिको प्राप्त हुआ यह कौन महात्मा आकाश कभमार्गसे जा रहा है, जिसका मुख-मण्डल ऊपरकी ओर और शरीरका निचला भाग नीचेकी ओर ही है? हमारी आँखें बरबस इसकी ओर खिंच जाती हैं"
śuka uvāca |
teṣāṁ tathā gacchatāṁ dṛṣṭvā sarve gandharvā apsarasāṁ gaṇaś ca siddhā ṛṣayaś ca mahad āścaryam āpannāḥ | antarīkṣagataḥ ko ’yaṁ tapasā siddhim āgataḥ | adhaḥkāyo ’rdhva-vaktraś ca netraiḥ samabhirajyate iti parasparaṁ ūcuḥ ||
Śuka said: Seeing him proceed in that extraordinary manner, all the Gandharvas, the hosts of Apsarases, and the perfected sages were struck with great wonder. They began saying to one another, “Who is this exalted one, moving through the sky, who has attained perfection through austerity—whose face is turned upward while the lower part of his body is downward? Our eyes are irresistibly drawn toward him.”
शुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the compelling power of tapas (austerity) and spiritual accomplishment (siddhi): genuine inner attainment can command reverence even among celestial beings, reminding the listener that ethical self-discipline and ascetic practice are recognized as sources of extraordinary capability and authority.
Śuka narrates that Gandharvas, Apsarases, and perfected sages see an extraordinary ascetic moving through the sky in an unusual posture (face upward, lower body downward). Astonished, they question among themselves who this great soul is and note that their gaze is involuntarily drawn to him.