Shloka 136
Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha
Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context
न चायमलसो भिक्षुरभ्य भाषत किंचन । उन्होंने सोचा, “इनकी पूजा करते हुए मुझे बहुत वर्ष बीत गये; परंतु वे आलसी भिक्षु आजतक एक बात भी नहीं बोले'
na cāyam alaso bhikṣur abhyabhāṣata kiñcana |
Dan pengemis-pertapa yang malas itu tidak menjawab sepatah kata pun. Lalu timbullah fikiran: “Bertahun-tahun lamanya aku memuja dan melayaninya; namun hingga hari ini, pertapa yang culas itu belum juga mengucapkan walau satu kata.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral strain that can arise when long-term reverence and service meet with silence. It invites reflection on patience and selfless devotion versus the human tendency to seek recognition, instruction, or reciprocation from those one honors.
The narrator states that a certain mendicant—described as indolent—does not respond at all. This prompts an internal complaint or observation that many years of worship/service have passed, yet the ascetic has never spoken even once.