Shloka 29
Bhāgīratha’s Tapas and the Petition to Gaṅgā (गङ्गावतरण-प्रसङ्गः)
अपश्यन्त हयं तत्र विचरन्तं महीतले । कपिलं च महात्मानं तेजोराशिमनुत्तमम् | तेजसा दीप्यमानं तु ज्वालाभिरिव पावकम्,राजन! तदनन्तर क्रोधमें भरे हुए सगरपुत्रोंने समुद्रके पूर्वोत्तर प्रदेशमें पाताल फोड़कर प्रवेश किया और वहाँ उस यज्ञिय अश्वको पृथ्वीपर विचरते देखा। वहीं तेजकी परम उत्तम राशि महात्मा कपिल बैठे थे, जो अपने दिव्य तेजसे उसी प्रकार उद्धासित हो रहे थे, जैसे लपटोंसे अग्नि
apaśyanta hayaṁ tatra vicarantaṁ mahītale | kapilaṁ ca mahātmānaṁ tejorāśim anuttamam || tejasā dīpyamānaṁ tu jvālābhir iva pāvakam |
They saw the sacrificial horse roaming there upon the earth, and also the great-souled Kapila—an unsurpassed mass of radiance—blazing with spiritual splendor like fire wreathed in flames. In the ethical frame of the episode, the contrast is sharp: the sons of Sagara, driven by anger and suspicion, confront a sage whose very presence embodies tapas (austerity) and inner power, foreshadowing the peril of approaching holiness with aggression rather than humility.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Approaching spiritual power with anger and accusation is ethically dangerous. The verse highlights Kapila’s tapas as a supreme radiance, implying that dharma requires restraint, reverence, and careful judgment—especially when confronting ascetics and sacred matters.
The sons of King Sagara, searching for the stolen sacrificial horse, reach the region where it is found roaming. There they also behold the sage Kapila, seated and blazing with extraordinary spiritual brilliance like flaming fire—setting the stage for the ensuing confrontation and its consequences.