Shloka 41
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
भरद्वाज उवाच उत्पन्नस्य रुरो: शंंगं वर्धमानस्य वर्धते । प्रार्थना पुरुषस्येव तस्य मात्रा न विद्यते
bharadvāja uvāca utpannasya ruroḥ śṛṅgaṃ vardhamānasya vardhate | prārthanā puruṣasyeva tasya mātrā na vidyate ||
Bharadvāja dit : « De même que la corne du serpent Ruru, une fois apparue, ne cesse de croître à mesure qu’il grandit, ainsi la requête (ou le désir) de l’homme s’étend sans fin : elle n’a ni mesure ni limite arrêtée. »
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human asking and craving tend to be unbounded: like a growing horn, desire expands unless restrained. The ethical implication is the need for moderation, contentment, and disciplined speech—knowing when to stop requesting or demanding.
Bharadvāja delivers a didactic observation using a vivid natural metaphor (Ruru’s horn) to illustrate a moral point about human behavior: petitions and wants can keep increasing without a natural limit.