Shloka 573
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
प्रवक्ष्यामि परं भूयो वरमत्र यथाविधि । “कल्याणि! महात्मा भगवान् शंकरने अरुन्धती देवीको जो वर दिया था, तुम्हारे तेज और प्रभावसे मैं उससे भी बढ़कर उत्तम वर देता हूँ
pravakṣyāmi paraṃ bhūyo varam atra yathāvidhi | kalyāṇi mahātmā bhagavān śaṅkaraḥ arundhatī-devyai yo varaṃ dadau tava tejasā prabhāvena aham asmād api vardhamānaṃ śreṣṭhataraṃ varaṃ dadāmi |
Vaiśampāyana said: “I shall now declare, once again, the highest boon here, in the proper manner. O auspicious lady! By your radiance and spiritual power, I grant you an even more excellent boon than the one the great-souled Lord Śaṅkara once bestowed upon the goddess Arundhatī.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that spiritual radiance (tejas) and moral-spiritual potency (prabhāva) can elevate one’s worthiness to receive divine or extraordinary blessings, even surpassing renowned exemplars like Arundhatī; it also underscores that boons should be granted and articulated in a proper, rule-governed manner (yathāvidhi).
Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment where a boon is being proclaimed. The speaker addresses an auspicious woman (“Kalyāṇī”) and announces that, considering her exceptional radiance and influence, he grants her a boon described as superior even to the famous boon once given by Śiva (Śaṅkara) to Arundhatī.