Shloka 24
उशनसः (शुक्रस्य) चरितम् — The Account of Uśanā (Śukra): Yoga, Grievance, and Pacification
वृत्र बवाच प्रत्यक्षमेतद् भवतस्तथान्येषां मनीषिणाम् । मया यज्जयलुब्धेन पुरा तप्तं महत् तप:,वृत्रासुरने कहा--ब्रह्म! आपने तथा दूसरे मनीषी महानुभावोंने यह तो प्रत्यक्ष देखा है कि मैंने पहले विजयके लोभसे बड़ी भारी तपस्या की थी
Vṛtra uvāca pratyakṣam etad bhavatas tathānyēṣāṁ manīṣiṇām | mayā yaj-jaya-lubdhena purā taptaṁ mahat tapaḥ ||
Vṛtra berkata: “Wahai Brahmana, hal ini nyata di hadapanmu, dan juga di hadapan para bijaksana yang lain: pada masa dahulu, didorong oleh ketamakan akan kemenangan, aku menjalani tapa yang amat berat.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that austerity (tapas) is ethically colored by intention: even great spiritual effort can be compromised when driven by craving for victory or power. It points toward examining motives, not merely actions.
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse, a quoted speech of Vṛtra appears: Vṛtra addresses a revered listener (implicitly Brahmā and other sages), stating that they have directly witnessed his earlier, intense austerities performed out of desire for victory.