Shloka 6

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

तं तु दृष्टवा वचः प्राह ब्रह्मा राजन्‌ भगीरथम्‌ । कथं भगीरथागास्त्वमिमं लोकं॑ दुरासदम्‌

Transliteration

taṁ tu dṛṣṭvā vacaḥ prāha brahmā rājan bhagīratham | kathaṁ bhagīrathāgās tvam imaṁ lokaṁ durāsadam, rājan ||

Translation

彼を見て、梵天はバギーラタ王に告げた。「王よ、この世界は到達しがたい。いかにして汝はここへ来たのか。」

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्राह: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Active

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (ब्रह्मा)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भगीरथम्: Bhagīratha
• भगीरथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगीरथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• भगीरथ: O Bhagīratha
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगीरथ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आगाः: have you come
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम्
• Form: Perfect, 2, Singular, Active

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach/attain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Brahmā
• Bhagīratha
• loka (realm/world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Access to higher realms is portrayed as rare and difficult (durāsada), implying that extraordinary merit, discipline, and dharmic purpose are required; even a great king’s arrival there invites scrutiny about the means and worthiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that Brahmā sees King Bhagīratha present in a hard-to-reach divine realm and questions him directly about how he managed to arrive there.