Shloka 7
Adhyāya 112: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga’s Description of an Exemplary Brahmacārī
Ascetic Presence and Vow-Practice
वक्त्र॑ च तस्याद्भुतदर्शनीयं प्रव्याह्ृतं ह्वादयतीव चेत: । पुंस्कोकिलस्थेव च तस्य वाणी तां शृण्वतो मे व्यथितो<न्तरात्मा,उसका मुख भी देखने ही योग्य था। उसकी अद्भुत शोभा थी। ब्रह्मचारीकी एक-एक बात मनको आनन्द-सिन्धुमें निमग्न-सा कर देती थी। उसकी वाणी कोकिलके समान थी, जिसे एक बार सुन लेनेपर अब पुनः सुननेके लिये मेरी अन्तरात्मा व्यथित हो उठी है
vaktraṃ ca tasyādbhuta-darśanīyaṃ pravyāhṛtaṃ hlādayatīva cetaḥ | puṃskokilasyeva ca tasya vāṇī tāṃ śṛṇvato me vyathito 'ntarātmā ||
His face too was a marvel, truly worthy of beholding, and his every utterance seemed to gladden the heart. His voice was like that of a male cuckoo; and as I listened to it, my inmost self grew restless with longing to hear it again.
ऋष्यशुड्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and aesthetic power of refined speech: words spoken with purity and discipline (as in a brahmacārin) can uplift the listener’s mind, suggesting that self-restraint and inner virtue naturally express themselves through pleasing, heart-refreshing speech.
The speaker describes a remarkable young ascetic: his face is wondrous to behold, and his spoken words delight the heart. The sweetness of his voice—likened to a male cuckoo—moves the listener so deeply that the listener’s inner self becomes restless, yearning to hear that voice again.