Shloka 39
Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala
On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving
वर्तितं भूगुशार्दूल यन्न दग्धो5स्मि तद् बहु । एष एव वरो मुख्य: प्राप्तो मे भूगुनन्दन
vartitaṁ bhṛguśārdūla yan na dagdho ’smi tad bahu | eṣa eva varo mukhyaḥ prāpto me bhṛgunandana ||
Kuśika dit : «Ô tigre parmi les Bhṛgu, que j’aie traversé cette épreuve sans être brûlé, voilà en soi un grand don. Ô joie des Bhṛgu, cela seul est la bénédiction suprême qui m’est échue.»
कुशिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that moral integrity and inner purity are themselves the highest reward: surviving an ordeal unscathed is valued not merely as a miracle, but as confirmation of righteousness, making that confirmation the ‘foremost boon.’
Kuśika addresses a Bhṛgu-descended sage, stating that he has undergone a severe test (implied to involve fire) and was not burned; he interprets this outcome as the greatest blessing he could receive.