Shloka 4
Uccaiḥśravas and the Counsel to Churn the Ocean (उच्चैःश्रवसः प्रादुर्भावः — समुद्रमन्थन-परामर्शः)
तपस्वी च महात्मा च वेदवेदाड़पारग: । सम: सर्वस्य लोकस्य पितृमातृभयापह:,आस्तीक वेद-वेदांगोंके पारंगत विद्वान, तपस्वी, महात्मा, सब लोगोंके प्रति समानभाव रखनेवाले तथा पितृकुल और मातृकुलके भयको दूर करनेवाले थे
tapasvī ca mahātmā ca vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ | samaḥ sarvasya lokasya pitṛmātṛbhayāpahaḥ ||
Śaunaka said: “Āstīka was an ascetic and a great-souled man, fully accomplished in the Vedas and their auxiliary disciplines. He regarded all people with equal-mindedness, and he became the remover of fear that had arisen for both the paternal and maternal lines.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
True authority is shown as a union of learning and character: mastery of sacred knowledge (Veda and Vedāṅgas) should mature into impartiality toward all and the capacity to remove fear and protect others—especially one’s families and communities.
Śaunaka is describing Āstīka’s qualities—his ascetic discipline, spiritual nobility, scholarly mastery, and even-minded conduct—while highlighting his role as a savior figure who dispels the peril threatening both his paternal and maternal lineages.