Shloka 6
Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites
कदाचिदास्थानगतः पप्रच्छ स्वपुरोहितम् । विस्मयेनावृतो नत्वा वसिष्ठमृषिसत्तमम्
kadācidāsthānagataḥ papraccha svapurohitam | vismayenāvṛto natvā vasiṣṭhamṛṣisattamam
ਇਕ ਵਾਰ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਵਿਚ ਆ ਕੇ, ਅਚੰਭੇ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ, ਉਸ ਨੇ ਸ਼ਿਰ ਨਿਵਾ ਕੇ ਰਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਵਸਿਸ਼ਠ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਮ ਕੀਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਕੁਲ-ਪੁਰੋਹਿਤ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਨ ਪੁੱਛਿਆ।
Narrator (third-person narrative introducing a dialogue); the questioner is an unspecified 'he' who approaches Vasiṣṭha.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कदाचिदास्थानगतः = kadācit + āsthāna-gataḥ; स्वपुरोहितम् = sva + purohitam (समास); विस्मयेनावृतो = vismayena + āvṛtaḥ (स्वरसन्धि); वसिष्ठमृषिसत्तमम् = vasiṣṭham + ṛṣi-sattamam (समास/सन्धि)
FAQs
Vasiṣṭha, described as ṛṣisattama—“the foremost among sages”—is bowed to and treated as the authoritative spiritual figure.
It presents the ideal of deference: even in the court setting, the seeker approaches the sage with humility (natvā) and seeks guidance through inquiry (papraccha).
Awe (vismaya) is directed into disciplined learning—one first shows respect and then asks questions, modeling humility and proper conduct in seeking knowledge.