Shloka 119
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
न विस्मयस्ते नृपते यज्ञे कार्य: कथंचन । ऋषिकोटिसहस्त्राणि तपोभियें दिवं गता:,नरेश्वर! उस यज्ञके सम्बन्धमें ऐसी घटना सुनकर तुम्हें किसी प्रकार विस्मय नहीं करना चाहिये। सहस्रों कोटि ऐसे ऋषि हो गये हैं, जो यज्ञ न करके केवल तपस्याके ही बलसे दिव्य लोकको प्राप्त हो चुके हैं
na vismayas te nṛpate yajñe kāryaḥ kathaṃcana | ṛṣikoṭisahasrāṇi tapobhir ye divaṃ gatāḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O king, you should not feel any astonishment at all regarding this sacrifice. Countless sages—by the power of austerity alone—have attained the heavenly worlds even without performing sacrifices.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not be surprised by extraordinary outcomes connected with ritual; spiritual attainment is not limited to sacrifice alone—many sages reach higher worlds through tapas (austerity) and inner discipline. The verse underscores multiple valid paths within dharma and recommends steadiness of mind rather than amazement.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a king who has heard of an unusual incident related to a sacrifice. He counsels the king not to be astonished, citing the precedent that innumerable sages have attained heaven by austerities alone, thereby placing the reported event within a broader dharmic framework.