Shloka 41
मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः
Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities
लंबते5वाक्शिरा यस्तु युगानामयुतं पुमान् । तिष्ठेद् यथेष्टं यश्चापि गड़ायां स विशिष्यते
lambate ’vākśirā yas tu yugānām ayutaṃ pumān | tiṣṭhed yatheṣṭaṃ yaś cāpi gaṅgāyāṃ sa viśiṣyate ||
Sekalipun seseorang bergantung pada pohon dengan kepala di bawah selama sepuluh ribu yuga, namun orang yang tinggal di tepi Gangga menurut kehendaknya dipandang lebih unggul.
सिद्ध उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extreme physical austerity alone is not necessarily the highest spiritual achievement; living in sacred association (here, by the Gaṅgā) and aligning one’s life with dharma can be considered superior to mere self-mortification.
A Siddha contrasts two religious practices—an extraordinarily severe penance of hanging upside down for vast ages versus dwelling by the Gaṅgā—and declares the latter superior, emphasizing the value of sacred place and right living over sheer austerity.