Shloka 23
Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins
स चापि तीर्थप्रवरं पुनर्गत्वा महानृषि: । पीत्वा पय: सुविपुलं सिद्धिमायात् तदा मुनि:
sa cāpi tīrthapravaraṃ punargatvā mahānṛṣiḥ | pītvā payaḥ suvipulaṃ siddhim āyāt tadā muniḥ ||
And that great seer, having gone once again to the most excellent sacred ford, drank a very abundant measure of milk; then the sage attained spiritual accomplishment. The passage underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethic that disciplined return to holy places and pure, restrained nourishment—undertaken with intent—can culminate in siddhi (a perfected state), not merely in outward ritual merit.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Repeated, intentional engagement with sacred practice—here, returning to a foremost tīrtha and maintaining pure, restrained sustenance—can lead to siddhi, emphasizing inner transformation over mere external ritual.
Vaiśampāyana reports that a great sage returns to an eminent pilgrimage site, drinks a large quantity of milk, and thereafter attains siddhi (a state of accomplishment/perfection).