Shloka 21
कल्माषपाद-शाप-कारणम्
Cause of Kalmāṣapāda’s Niyoga under a Curse
(स्तुतो5स्मि वरदस्ते5हं वरं वरय सुव्रत । स्तुतिस्त्वयोक्ता भक्तानां जप्येयं वरदो<5स्म्यहम् ।।
stuto 'smi varadas te 'haṃ varaṃ varaya suvrata | stutis tvayoktā bhaktānāṃ japyeyam varado 'smy aham ||
स्तुतोऽस्मि वरदस्तेऽहं वरं वरय सुव्रत । स्तुतिस्त्वयोक्ता भक्तानां जप्येयं वरदोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ एवमुक्तः स तेनर्षिवसिष्ठः प्रत्यभाषत । प्रणिपत्य विवस्वन्तं भानुमन्तं महातपाः ॥
(वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
A hymn offered with disciplined devotion (suvrata) becomes spiritually efficacious for the wider community (bhaktānām japyeyam), and divine favor (varadaḥ) responds to sincere reverence rather than coercion—linking ethical self-restraint with grace.
After being praised, the Sun-god Vivasvān declares himself pleased and ready to grant a boon, affirming that Vasiṣṭha’s stuti is worthy of continual recitation. Vasiṣṭha then bows to the radiant deity and prepares to reply (i.e., to request a boon).