Shloka 32
Suvarṇa-dāna: Kārttikeya’s Origin and the Defeat of Tāraka (सुवर्णदान-प्रसङ्गे कार्त्तिकेय-उत्पत्ति तथा तारकवधः)
किमर्थ तप्यसे देवि तपो घोरमनिन्दिते । प्रीतस्ते5हं महाभागे तपसानेन शो भने
kimartha tapyase devi tapo ghoram anindite | prītas te 'haṃ mahābhāge tapasānena śobhane ||
Wahai Dewi yang tak bercela, untuk apakah engkau menyiksa diri dengan tapa yang begitu berat? Wahai yang elok, wahai yang amat beruntung, aku sungguh berkenan oleh tapasmu ini. Wahai Devi, mohonlah anugerah sesuai kehendakmu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Severe austerity (tapas) is portrayed as spiritually efficacious and capable of winning divine approval; when such merit is acknowledged, it is ethically framed as deserving a boon aligned with one’s rightful desire.
Bhīṣma narrates a scene in which he addresses a goddess-like, virtuous figure (Surabhī), asks why she undertakes harsh austerities, declares his satisfaction with her tapas, and encourages her—before Indra (Puraṃdara)—to request a boon.