Shloka 39
Adhyāya 136: Yavakrī–Bharadvāja Saṃvāda and the Bāladhī–Dhanuṣākṣa Gāthā
Arrogance, Boons, and Nimitta
यवक्रीत उवाच यथा तव निरथोंडयमारम्भस्त्रिदशेश्वर । तथा यदि ममापीदं मन्यसे पाकशासन,यवक्रीतने कहा--देवेश्वर पाकशासन! जैसे आपका यह पुल बाँधनेका आयोजन व्यर्थ है, उसी प्रकार यदि मेरी इस तपस्याको भी आप निरर्थक मानते हैं तो वही कार्य कीजिये जो सम्भव हो, मुझे ऐसे उत्तम वर प्रदान कीजिये, जिनके द्वारा मैं दूसरोंसे बढ़- चढ़कर प्रतिष्ठा प्राप्त कर सकूँ
yavakrīta uvāca | yathā tava nirartho ’yaṃ ārambhas tridāśeśvara | tathā yadi mamāpīdaṃ manyase pākaśāsana ||
Yavakrīta said: “O lord of the gods! Just as this undertaking of yours is futile, so too—if you judge my austerity to be futile, O Pākaśāsana—then do what is within your power: grant me such excellent boons by which I may gain renown and standing surpassing others.”
यवक्रीत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between spiritual practice and ego-driven ambition: austerity (tapas) pursued for superiority and public prestige risks becoming ‘fruitless’ in a moral sense, even if it can attract divine attention.
Yavakrīta addresses Indra, challenging him by calling Indra’s current undertaking futile and arguing that, if Indra similarly deems Yavakrīta’s austerity futile, Indra should instead grant him powerful boons that will secure him greater prestige than others.