Shloka 2
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
भरद्वाजस्य दुहिता रूपेणाप्रतिमा भुवि । श्रुतावती नाम विभो कुमारी ब्रह्म॒ाचारिणी,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! पहले कहा गया है कि वहाँसे बलरामजी बदरपाचन नामक श्रेष्ठ तीर्थमें गये, जहाँ तपस्वी और सिद्ध पुरुष विचरण करते हैं तथा जहाँ पूर्वकालमें उत्तम व्रत धारण करनेवाली भरद्वाजकी ब्रह्मचारिणी पुत्री कुमारी कन्या श्रुतावती, जिसके रूप और सौन्दर्यकी भूमण्डलमें कहीं तुलना नहीं थी, निवास करती थी
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
bharadvājasya duhitā rūpeṇāpratimā bhuvi |
śrutāvatī nāma vibho kumārī brahmacāriṇī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O mighty one, Bharadvāja’s daughter—an unmarried maiden named Śrutāvatī—was a brahmacāriṇī, and in beauty she had no equal anywhere on earth.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ideal of brahmacarya (disciplined celibate conduct) and presents inner restraint and vowed living as compatible with, and even more significant than, outward beauty—suggesting that virtue and self-control are central measures of excellence.
Vaiśampāyana introduces Śrutāvatī, the exceptionally beautiful yet vow-observing daughter of the sage Bharadvāja, setting up a sacred-ascetic context and preparing for the episode connected with her presence and reputation.