Shloka 17
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
वाह्लीक देशमें उत्पन्न हुए श्वेतरंगके एक लाख घोड़ोंको सोनेकी मालाओंसे सजाकर मैंने ब्राह्मणोंको दान किया; किंतु उस पुण्यसे भी मैं यहाँ नहीं आया हूँ ।।
Bhagīratha uvāca — Vāhlīka-deśe samutpannān śveta-varṇān aśvān lakṣa-saṅkhyān suvarṇa-mālābhiḥ alaṅkṛtya mayā brāhmaṇebhyo dānaṃ dattam; kintu tena puṇyena’pi ahaṃ iha na āgataḥ. Koṭīśaḥ kāñcanasya aṣṭādaśa prādāṃ brāhman daśānvaham; ekaikasmin kratau tena phalena’ham na ca āgataḥ.
Bhagīratha berkata: “Aku menghias seratus ribu ekor kuda putih, lahir di negeri Vāhlīka, dengan kalungan emas lalu aku sedekahkan kepada para Brahmana; namun dengan pahala itu pun aku tidak sampai ke keadaan ini. Wahai Brahmana, dalam setiap upacara korban, hari demi hari aku mengagihkan lapan belas krore syiling emas; namun dengan hasilnya pun aku tidak mencapai ini.”
भगीरथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even immense ritual giving and lavish donations do not automatically guarantee the highest attainment; the passage underscores the limitation of external acts when detached from the deeper conditions of dharma—inner purity, right intention, and the broader moral-spiritual framework that the surrounding discourse is emphasizing.
Bhagīratha addresses a Brahmin and recounts extraordinary acts of generosity—donating a lakh of gold-adorned horses from Vāhlīka and distributing vast sums of gold in sacrifices—yet confesses that the merit from these deeds still did not bring him to the ‘here’ being discussed, highlighting a reflective, self-critical evaluation of merit and attainment.