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 ||
भरद्वाज बोले—“जैसे सर्प ‘रुरु’ का सींग उत्पन्न होकर बढ़ते-बढ़ते निरन्तर बढ़ता जाता है, वैसे ही मनुष्य की प्रार्थना—अर्थात् उसकी कामना—फैलती ही जाती है; उसकी कोई निश्चित मात्रा या सीमा नहीं होती।”
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.