Shloka 7
Umā’s Inquiry and the Manifestation of the Third Eye (उमा–प्रश्नः तृतीयनेत्रोत्पत्तिः)
'थोड़ी-सी तपस्या थोड़े-से दान या छोटे-मोटे नियमोंका पालन करके तुम इस लोकमें नहीं आयी हो। अत: अपनी साधनाके सम्बन्धमें सच्ची-सच्ची बात बताओ' ।।
iti pṛṣṭā sumanayā madhuraṃ cāru-hāsinī | śāṇḍilī nibhṛtaṃ vākyaṃ sumanām idam abravīt ||
Ketika Sumanā bertanya demikian dengan tutur yang manis, Śāṇḍilī—yang tersenyum elok—menjawab Sumanā dengan kata-kata yang lembut dan tertahan, demikianlah ucapnya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Genuine spiritual attainment is not produced by small, superficial acts; therefore one should speak truthfully and precisely about one’s sādhana (discipline) and its causes, without exaggeration or concealment.
Sumanā questions Śāṇḍilī about the real nature of her practice, implying that her present state could not have arisen from minor austerities or small gifts. Śāṇḍilī, smiling, begins to answer in modest, measured words.