Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 37
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
दशभिर्विश्वजिद्धिश्न शतैरष्टादशोत्तरै: । न चैव तेषां देवेश फलेनाहमिहागमम्
daśabhir viśvajid-dhiśna śatair aṣṭādaśottaraiḥ | na caiva teṣāṃ deveśa phalenāham ihāgamam, brahman |
ພະພາກີຣະຖະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພຣະເຈົ້າແຫ່ງເທວະ, ໂອ ພຣາຫມັນ! ແມ່ນແຕ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າໄດ້ປະກອບວິຊະວະຈິດ 10 ຄັ້ງ ແລະຍັງເພີ່ມອີກ 118 ຄັ້ງ ກໍຍັງບໍ່ໄດ້ມາຮອດສະພາບນີ້ດ້ວຍຜົນຂອງພິທີເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນ. ການມາຮອດຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບໍ່ແມ່ນລາງວັນຈາກບຸນຍະຂອງຍະຊະນະ»
भगीरथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhagīratha emphasizes that the highest attainment is not merely a transactional result of ritual performance; sacrificial merit (yajña-phala) has limits, and true spiritual standing is not reducible to accumulated rites.
Bhagīratha addresses a divine figure (Deveśa) and a revered authority (Brahman), recounting the vast number of Viśvajit sacrifices he performed, yet declaring that his present arrival/condition is not due to those ritual fruits—framing a discussion on the nature of merit and higher dharma.