Shloka 61
एवंप्रभाव: स मुनिरुत्तड़को भरतर्षभ । परेण तपसा युक्तो यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि,भरतश्रेष्ठ! उत्तंक मुनि, जिनके विषयमें तुम मुझसे पूछ रहे थे, ऐसे ही प्रभावशाली और महान् तपस्वी थे
evaṃprabhāvaḥ sa munir uttaṅko bharatarṣabha | pareṇa tapasā yukto yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi, bharataśreṣṭha |
The Horse said: “O bull among the Bharatas, that sage Uttaṅka—about whom you are questioning me—was indeed of such extraordinary power, a great ascetic, endowed with supreme austerity.”
अश्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical valuation of tapas (austerity and disciplined restraint) as a source of spiritual authority and efficacy; true power is presented as arising from inner discipline rather than external force.
The speaking Horse responds to a Bharata prince/hero’s inquiry by identifying Uttaṅka and affirming his exceptional potency and greatness as an ascetic, setting Uttaṅka’s stature as the basis for what follows in the episode.