Shloka 40
Adhyaya 1 — Jaimini’s Questions on the Mahabharata and the Origin of the Wise Birds
तपस्यन्तं नगेंद्रस्थं या वः क्षोभयते बलात् ।
दुर्वाससं मुनिश्रेष्ठं तां वो मन्ये गुणाधिकाम् ॥
tapasyantaṃ nagendrasthaṃ yā vaḥ kṣobhayate balāt | durvāsasaṃ muniśreṣṭhaṃ tāṃ vo manye guṇādhikām ||
Dia yang mengguncang kalian dengan paksa ketika resi utama Durvāsas sedang bertapa di raja gunung—aku memandangnya lebih unggul daripada kalian dalam kebajikan dan keutamaan.
FAQs
The verse implies that true superiority is measured by inner excellence (guṇa) and spiritual potency rather than status alone. Even beings who presume power are to recognize a higher force—especially one capable of disturbing them despite the presence of a great ascetic like Durvāsas.
This verse functions as narrative framing (ākhyāna) rather than a direct statement of sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita. At most, it supports vaṃśānucarita/character-focused narration by referencing the famed ṛṣi Durvāsas and establishing relative spiritual power within the story context.
Durvāsas symbolizes concentrated tapas/tejas (ascetic fire). The unnamed ‘she’ who can still ‘agitate’ others suggests a superior śakti that transcends ordinary ascetic radiance—hinting at a principle of higher power (often read in Purāṇic idiom as Devī/Śakti), though the verse itself does not explicitly identify her.