Shloka 124
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
अहं तु विस्मयं विप्र न गच्छामीति पश्य माम् | एवमुक्त्वा नरश्रेष्ठ महादेवेन धीमता,“विप्रवर! मुझे तो यह देखकर कोई आश्चर्य नहीं हो रहा है। मेरी ओर देखिये।' नरश्रेष्ठ! निष्पाप राजेन्द्र! ऐसा कहकर परम बुद्धिमान् महादेवजीने अंगुलीके अग्रभागसे अपने अँगूठेको ठोंका। राजन्! उनके चोट करनेपर उस अँगूठेसे बर्फके समान सफेद भस्म गिरने लगा
ahaṃ tu vismayaṃ vipra na gacchāmīti paśya mām | evam uktvā naraśreṣṭha mahādevena dhīmatā |
Ghūlastya said: “O brahmin, I feel no astonishment at this—look at me.” Having spoken thus, the wise Mahādeva, best of men, struck the tip of his thumb with the forepart of his finger; and at that blow, from the thumb there began to fall ash, white like snow. The episode underscores the divine’s effortless power and invites the listener to replace mere wonder with reverent discernment of what is truly extraordinary—self-mastery and insight rather than spectacle alone.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts ordinary amazement with spiritual discernment: divine power can manifest effortlessly, but the ethical point is to recognize the deeper significance—reverence, humility, and insight—rather than being captivated only by spectacle.
The speaker says he is not astonished and asks the brahmin to look; then Mahādeva demonstrates his power by striking his thumb, from which snow-white ash falls, a sign associated with Śiva and ascetic potency.