Adhyaya 1 — Jaimini’s Questions on the Mahabharata and the Origin of the Wise Birds
तपस्यन्तं नगेंद्रस्थं या वः क्षोभयते बलात् ।
दुर्वाससं मुनिश्रेष्ठं तां वो मन्ये गुणाधिकाम् ॥
tapasyantaṃ nagendrasthaṃ yā vaḥ kṣobhayate balāt | durvāsasaṃ muniśreṣṭhaṃ tāṃ vo manye guṇādhikām ||
ນາງຜູ້ທີ່ກະທົບກະເທືອນພວກເຈົ້າຢ່າງແຮງ, ໃນຂະນະທີ່ພຣະລະສີຜູ້ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ ດຸຣວາສະ ກຳລັງປະພຶດຕະປະສະຍາ ຢູ່ເທິງພຣະເຈົ້າແຫ່ງພູເຂົາ—ຂ້ອຍເຫັນວ່ານາງນັ້ນເຫນືອກວ່າພວກເຈົ້າໃນຄຸນທຳ ແລະ ຄວາມດີເລີດ.
The verse implies that true superiority is measured by inner excellence (guṇa) and spiritual potency rather than status alone. Even beings who presume power are to recognize a higher force—especially one capable of disturbing them despite the presence of a great ascetic like Durvāsas.
This verse functions as narrative framing (ākhyāna) rather than a direct statement of sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita. At most, it supports vaṃśānucarita/character-focused narration by referencing the famed ṛṣi Durvāsas and establishing relative spiritual power within the story context.
Durvāsas symbolizes concentrated tapas/tejas (ascetic fire). The unnamed ‘she’ who can still ‘agitate’ others suggests a superior śakti that transcends ordinary ascetic radiance—hinting at a principle of higher power (often read in Purāṇic idiom as Devī/Śakti), though the verse itself does not explicitly identify her.