Shloka 653
Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha
Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context
जैगीषव्ये तपो नास्ति विस्मापयति यो5सितम् । तदनन्तर मुनिश्रेष्ठ नारदने देवताओंसे कहा--'जैगीषव्यमें तपस्या नहीं है; क्योंकि ये असित मुनिको अपना प्रभाव दिखाकर आश्चर्यमें डाल रहे हैं
jaigīṣavye tapo nāsti vismāpayati yo 'sitam | tadanantaram muniśreṣṭho nārado devatābhyaḥ uvāca—“jaigīṣavye tapasyā nāsti; yataḥ sa asitaṃ muniṃ svaprabhāvena darśayitvā vismāpayati” |
ત્યારબાદ મુનિશ્રેષ્ઠ નારદે દેવતાઓને કહ્યું—“જૈગીષવ્યમાં સાચું તપ નથી; તે તો પોતાનો પ્રભાવ બતાવી અસિત મુનિને આશ્ચર્યમાં મૂકે છે.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage warns that true tapas is not the exhibition of extraordinary powers to impress others. Authentic ascetic discipline is measured by inner restraint, sincerity, and humility; using spiritual potency to create amazement is portrayed as lacking genuine austerity.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a judgment about Jaigīṣavya: he is said to lack real tapas because he is astonishing the sage Asita by showing his power. Then Nārada, the foremost sage, conveys this assessment to the gods, framing the event as a critique of performative spirituality.