Shloka 17
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
वाह्लीक देशमें उत्पन्न हुए श्वेतरंगके एक लाख घोड़ोंको सोनेकी मालाओंसे सजाकर मैंने ब्राह्मणोंको दान किया; किंतु उस पुण्यसे भी मैं यहाँ नहीं आया हूँ ।।
Bhagīratha uvāca — Vāhlīka-deśe samutpannān śveta-varṇān aśvān lakṣa-saṅkhyān suvarṇa-mālābhiḥ alaṅkṛtya mayā brāhmaṇebhyo dānaṃ dattam; kintu tena puṇyena’pi ahaṃ iha na āgataḥ. Koṭīśaḥ kāñcanasya aṣṭādaśa prādāṃ brāhman daśānvaham; ekaikasmin kratau tena phalena’ham na ca āgataḥ.
Bhagīratha dijo: «Adorné con guirnaldas de oro a cien mil caballos blancos, nacidos en la tierra de Vāhlīka, y los di en dádiva a los brahmanes; y aun con ese mérito no alcancé este estado. Oh brahmán, en cada sacrificio distribuía día tras día dieciocho crores de monedas de oro; y, sin embargo, ni siquiera por el fruto de ello llegué hasta aquí.»
भगीरथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even immense ritual giving and lavish donations do not automatically guarantee the highest attainment; the passage underscores the limitation of external acts when detached from the deeper conditions of dharma—inner purity, right intention, and the broader moral-spiritual framework that the surrounding discourse is emphasizing.
Bhagīratha addresses a Brahmin and recounts extraordinary acts of generosity—donating a lakh of gold-adorned horses from Vāhlīka and distributing vast sums of gold in sacrifices—yet confesses that the merit from these deeds still did not bring him to the ‘here’ being discussed, highlighting a reflective, self-critical evaluation of merit and attainment.