Shloka 15
Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory
स चापि राजा तं दृष्ट्वा विश्वामित्रं तपोनिधिम् ।
भीतः प्रावेपत अत्यर्थं सहसाश्वत्थपर्णवत् ॥
sa cāpi rājā taṃ dṛṣṭvā viśvāmitraṃ taponidhim /
bhītaḥ prāvepatātyarthaṃ sahasāśvatthaparṇavat
Dan raja itu juga, apabila melihat Viśvāmitra—suatu khazanah tapa (austeriti)—menjadi takut, lalu serta-merta menggigil hebat seperti daun pokok aśvattha (ara suci).
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FAQs
The verse underscores the Purāṇic ethic that tapas (disciplined spiritual heat) generates a palpable authority that even kings must respect. Political power is shown as secondary to inner mastery; fear here functions as recognition of a higher, dharmic potency rather than mere weakness.
This verse is best classified under Vaṃśānucarita/Carita (accounts of persons and dynastic/narrative episodes). It is not directly Sarga (creation), Pratisarga (re-creation), Manvantara (Manu cycles), or Vaṃśa (genealogical lists) in itself, but part of narrative history illustrating dharma through exemplary figures.
Viśvāmitra as 'taponidhi' symbolizes concentrated inner energy (tejas). The king’s trembling 'like an aśvattha leaf' suggests the instability of ego and worldly sovereignty when confronted with awakened consciousness. The aśvattha, often emblematic of the cosmos and sacred knowledge, frames the moment as an encounter with a reality larger than royal control.