Shloka 4
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
इन्द्रत्वमहों राजायं तपसेत्यनुचिन्त्य वै । त॑ सान्त्वेन नृपं साक्षात् तपस: संन्यवर्तयन्,एक समयकी बात है, राजा वसु अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका त्याग करके आश्रममें निवास करने लगे। उन्होंने बड़ा भारी तप किया, जिससे वे तपोनिधि माने जाने लगे। उस समय इन्द्र आदि देवता यह सोचकर कि यह राजा तपसयाके द्वारा इन्द्रपद प्राप्त करना चाहता है, उनके समीप गये। देवताओंने राजाको प्रत्यक्ष दर्शन देकर उन्हें शान्तिपूर्वक समझाया और तपस्यासे निवृत्त कर दिया
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: indratvam aho rājāyaṁ tapasety anucintya vai | taṁ sāntvena nṛpaṁ sākṣāt tapasaḥ saṁnyavartayan ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Thinking, ‘Ah! This king seeks Indra’s sovereignty through austerity,’ the gods approached him in person and, by gentle persuasion, turned the ruler back from his severe penance.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity is powerful and can even threaten cosmic offices, but it should be guided by dharma and right intention; gentle counsel and restraint are preferable to conflict when redirecting potentially disruptive ambition.
Seeing the king engaged in intense tapas, the gods suspect he aims to obtain Indra’s position; they appear before him and pacify him with conciliatory words, leading him to withdraw from the austerity.