Shloka 16
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
ततः शाकम्भरीत्येव नाम तस्या: प्रतिछ्ठितम् । शाकम्भरीं समासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी समाहित:,तत् फलं तस्य भवति देव्याश्छन्देन भारत । भारत! तबसे उस देवीका “शाकम्भरी” ही नाम प्रसिद्ध हो गया। शाकम्भरीके समीप जाकर मनुष्य ब्रह्मचर्य पालनपूर्वक एकाग्रचित्त और पवित्र हो वहाँ तीन राततक शाक खाकर रहे तो बारह वर्षोतक शाकाहारी मनुष्यको जो पुण्य प्राप्त होता है, वह उसे देवीकी इच्छासे (तीन ही दिनोंमें) मिल जाता है
tataḥ śākambharītyeva nāma tasyāḥ pratiṣṭhitam | śākambharīṃ samāsādya brahmacārī samāhitaḥ, tat phalaṃ tasya bhavati devyāś chandena bhārata |
Thereafter, her name became firmly established as “Śākambharī.” O Bhārata, if a person approaches Śākambharī and, observing brahmacarya with a collected and disciplined mind, undertakes the prescribed observance, then—by the Goddess’s own consent—the merit of that act accrues to him. The passage emphasizes that sincere self-restraint and focused devotion, performed in the presence of the deity, can yield spiritual fruit not merely by duration but by purity of intent and divine grace.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that disciplined conduct (brahmacarya) and a focused mind, when joined with sincere devotion, bear spiritual fruit—ultimately dependent on the deity’s grace (devyāḥ chandena). Merit is not only a matter of time spent but of purity, restraint, and divine approval.
The speaker explains how the Goddess came to be renowned by the name Śākambharī and states that one who approaches her with self-restraint and concentration gains the intended religious merit through her consent.