Shloka 3
मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः
Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association
भो दैत्यपतयो ब्रूत यदर्थं तप्यते तपः ऐहिकं वाथ पारत्र्यं तपसः फलम् इच्छथ
bho daityapatayo brūta yadarthaṃ tapyate tapaḥ aihikaṃ vātha pāratryaṃ tapasaḥ phalam icchatha
O lords of the Daityas, speak plainly: for what purpose is this austerity performed? Do you seek the fruit of tapas in this world, or its reward in the world beyond?
A divine interlocutor addressing the Daitya leaders (contextually a higher authority questioning the intent behind their tapas)
Concept: Tapas must be oriented by a clear intention—either worldly gain or otherworldly reward—so that the means matches the sought end.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Before adopting any discipline, clarify whether your aim is success, virtue, or liberation, and align practices accordingly.
Vishishtadvaita: Implied teleology of sadhana: purposeful effort is meaningful only when directed toward the highest purushartha under divine order.
FAQs
This verse frames austerity as intention-driven: tapas can yield temporal power and boons, or it can be directed toward higher, transcendent aims—placing desire under scrutiny within cosmic order.
It repeatedly distinguishes tapas aimed at dominion and enjoyment from tapas aligned with dharma and ultimate good; the question here functions as a moral diagnostic before any result is granted.
Even when not named in the verse, the Purana’s theology implies that the fruits of tapas operate within a higher sovereignty—ultimately under Vishnu’s supreme ordering of cause, merit, and consequence.