Shloka 7
स वारुणिस्तपस्तेपे तस्मिन् भरतसत्तम | वने पुण्यकृतां श्रेष्ठ: स्वादुमूलफलोदके,भरतवंशशिरोमणे! उस वनमें स्वादिष्ट फल, मूल और जलकी सुविधा थी, पुण्यवानोंमें श्रेष्ठ वरुणनन्दन महर्षि वसिष्ठ उसीमें तपस्या करते थे
sa vāruṇis tapaḥ tepe tasmin bharatasattama | vane puṇyakṛtāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ svādu-mūla-phalodake ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O best of the Bharatas, there in that forest—rich in sweet roots, fruits, and water—Vāruṇi, foremost among the meritorious, practiced austerities. The setting underscores an ethical ideal: true spiritual effort is sustained by simplicity and purity of place, not by luxury, and the righteous seek seclusion where life’s basic needs are met without harm.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tapas grounded in simplicity: the virtuous undertake disciplined practice in a pure, minimally sufficient environment (roots, fruits, water), suggesting ethical restraint and non-exploitative living as supports for spiritual progress.
Vaiśampāyana describes Vāruṇi residing in a forest that naturally provides basic sustenance and performing austerities there, establishing the ascetic setting and the character’s merit and spiritual focus.