Shloka 12
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
स पर्यपृच्छत् त॑ पुत्र क्षीणं पर्यागतं पुन: । दिव्यैर्गन्धै: समादिग्ध॑ क्षीणस्वप्नमिवोत्थितम्
sa paryapṛcchat taṁ putra kṣīṇaṁ paryāgataṁ punaḥ | divyair gandhaiḥ samādigdhaṁ kṣīṇa-svapnam ivotthitam ||
Bhishma disse: Então ele interrogou aquele filho que havia retornado outra vez, com aspecto abatido, como se tivesse acabado de despertar de um sonho que se esvai. Seu corpo estava impregnado de uma fragrância divina. Nesse momento, Uddalaka lhe perguntou—
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds disciplined inquiry (praśna) as a dharmic method: unusual spiritual signs—exhaustion after an experience and a divine fragrance—are not treated as mere marvels but as prompts for a teacher to question, discern, and guide the student toward understanding and right conduct.
A son returns again in a depleted state, seeming like someone awakened from a fading dream, while his body carries a divine scent. Observing these signs, Uddalaka questions him to learn what he underwent and what it signifies.