Shloka 48

Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections

Devanagari script

अनया हि तपस्विन्या तपस्तप्तं सुदुश्चरम्‌ । अनश्नन्या पचन्त्या च समा द्वादश पारिता:,“इस तपस्विनीने बिना कुछ खाये-पीये बेर पकाते हुए बारह वर्ष बिता दिये हैं। इस प्रकार इसने दुष्कर तपका उपार्जन कर लिया है” इति श्रीमहाभारते शल्यपर्वणि गदापर्वणि बलदेवतीर्थयात्रायां सारस्वतोपाख्याने बदरपाचनतीर्थक थने अष्टचत्वारिंशो5ध्याय:

Transliteration

anayayā hi tapasvinyā tapastaptaṃ suduścaram | anaśnanayā pacantyā ca samā dvādaśa pāritāḥ ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「この苦行の女は、まことに最も困難なる苦行を成し遂げた。食を断ち、しかも絶えずナツメの実を煮炊きしつつ、十二年を満ちて過ごしたのである。かくして彼女は、苛烈なる行によって生ずる功徳と霊力を得た。」

Word by Word

अनयाby this (woman)

हिindeed/for

तपस्विन्याby the female ascetic

तपःausterity/penance

तप्तम्performed (undertaken)

सुदुश्चरम्very difficult to perform

अनश्नन्याwhile not eating

पचन्त्याwhile cooking

चand

समाyears

द्वादशtwelve

पारिताःwere completed/spent

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

tapasvinī (female ascetic)

badara (jujube/ber fruit) (implied by the tīrtha-context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and spiritual value of steadfast self-discipline: sustained tapas—marked by fasting, endurance, and unwavering resolve—generates puṇya and spiritual potency, showing that inner strength is cultivated through long, consistent practice rather than momentary effort.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sarasvata-upākhyāna within Balarāma’s pilgrimage narrative, Vaiśampāyana describes an ascetic woman associated with the Badara-pācana tīrtha, emphasizing that she completed twelve years of severe austerity—fasting while cooking—thereby establishing the sanctity and merit of that sacred place.