Shloka 26
Omens and Consolation after Loss; Reaffirmation of the Saindhava Punishment Vow (उत्पात-दर्शनम्, आश्वासन-वाक्यानि, प्रतिज्ञा-स्थैर्यम्)
पुष्करेष्वथ गोकर्णे नैमिषे मलये तथा । अपाकर्षत् स्वकं देहं नियमैर्मानसप्रियै:,तदनन्तर पुष्कर, गोकर्ण, नैमिषारण्य तथा मलयाचलके तीर्थोमें रहकर मनको प्रिय लगनेवाले नियमोंद्वारा उसने अपने शरीरको अत्यन्त क्षीण कर दिया
puṣkareṣv atha gokarṇe naimiṣe malaye tathā | apākarṣat svakaṃ dehaṃ niyamair mānasapriyaiḥ ||
Nārada said: Then, dwelling at the sacred places of Puṣkara, Gokarṇa, Naimiṣa, and likewise on the Malaya mountain, he drew down his own body—reducing it to extreme leanness—through disciplines and observances that were dear to his mind. The passage highlights the ascetic ideal: voluntary self-restraint undertaken at holy tīrthas, where inner resolve and chosen vows are used to subdue bodily impulses and pursue spiritual aims.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores tapas through niyama: disciplined observances, willingly embraced, can subdue bodily demands and strengthen inner purpose. It presents self-restraint—especially when supported by sacred settings—as a dharmic means to spiritual attainment.
Nārada narrates that a person undertook austerities while staying at major tīrthas—Puṣkara, Gokarṇa, Naimiṣa, and Malaya—practicing mind-pleasing vows and disciplines that caused his body to become extremely emaciated.