Shloka 6

Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins

Devanagari script

तत्र पूर्व तपस्तप्तं काव्येन सुमहात्मना । यत्रास्य नीतिरखिला प्रादुर्भूता महात्मन:,महात्मा शुक्राचार्यने वहीं पहले तप किया था, जिससे उनके हृदयमें सम्पूर्ण नीति- विद्या स्फुरित हुई थी

Transliteration

tatra pūrvaṃ tapaḥ taptaṃ kāvyena sumahātmanā | yatrāsya nītir akhilā prādurbhūtā mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

There, in earlier times, the great-souled Kāvya (Śukrācārya) had performed severe austerities. It was in that very place that the entire science of polity and right conduct (nīti), in its fullness, manifested within the heart of that noble sage—showing how disciplined self-restraint becomes the source of ethical and practical wisdom.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

तपःausterity, penance

तप्तम्performed (as penance), practised

काव्येनby Kāvya (Śukra)

सुमहात्मनाby the very great-souled (one)

यत्रwhere

अस्यof him, his

नीतिःpolicy, conduct, ethics

अखिलाentire, complete

प्रादुर्भूताmanifested, appeared

महात्मनःof the great-souled (one)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kāvya (Śukrācārya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links tapas (disciplined austerity and self-control) with the arising of nīti—ethical and practical wisdom for right conduct and governance—suggesting that true policy is grounded in inner discipline rather than mere strategy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana points out a particular place and recalls its sacred past: Śukrācārya (Kāvya) once performed austerities there, and in that setting the full knowledge of nīti became manifest to him.