Shloka 12
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
उग्र॑ तपश्चरसि वै विदिता मे5सि सुव्ते । यदर्थमयमारम्भस्तव कल्याणि हृद्गत:
ugraṁ tapaś carasi vai viditā me 'si suvrate | yadartham ayam ārambhas tava kalyāṇi hṛdgataḥ ||
तुम निश्चय ही घोर तप कर रही हो; हे सुव्रते! तुम मुझे भलीभाँति ज्ञात हो। हे कल्याणी! तुम्हारे हृदय में यह आरम्भ किस प्रयोजन से उत्पन्न हुआ है?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity and vows are ethically meaningful only when guided by a clear, worthy intention; the verse highlights the importance of examining the purpose (artha) behind spiritual discipline.
The narrator-speaker Vaiśampāyana addresses a woman devoted to strict observances, acknowledging her intense tapas and asking what inner resolve or aim has prompted her present undertaking.