Shloka 36
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
लोकनाथ! सुरेश्वर! इनके अतिरिक्त रोहिणी (कपिला) जातिकी बहुत-सी दुधारू गौएँ तथा बहुसंख्यक साँड़ भी मैं प्रतिदिन ब्राह्मणोंको दान करता था; परंतु उन सब दानोंके फलसे भी मैं इस लोकमें नहीं आया हूँ ।।
Bhagīratha uvāca: Lokanātha! Sureśvara! etebhyaḥ pṛthak rohiṇī-kapilā-jātīyā bahvyo dhenavaḥ bahavaś ca vṛṣabhāḥ mayā pratidinaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo dīyante sma; tathāpi teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ dānānāṃ phalena aham asmin loke nāgataḥ. Triṃśad-agnīn ahaṃ brahmajña yajaṃś ca yat pratidinaṃ; aṣṭakṛtvaḥ sarvamedhaiḥ, saptakṛtvaś ca naramedhaiḥ, aṣṭāviṃśati-śataṃ viśvajit-yajñaiḥ ca iṣṭavān; tathāpi deveśvara! teṣāṃ yajñānāṃ phalena api aham iha nāgataḥ.
भगिरथ उवाच—लोकनाथ! सुरेश्वर! एतेभ्यः परं रोहिणीकपिलाजातीयाः बह्व्यो दोग्ध्रीर्गावो बहवश्च वृषभा अहं प्रतिदिनं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो दानं ददामि स्म; तथापि तेषां सर्वदानानां फलेनाहं नास्मिन् लोके प्राप्तवान्। त्रिंशदग्निचयनानि यजनानि च नित्यं क्रमशः कृतवानस्मि; अष्टकृत्वः सर्वमेधं, सप्तकृत्वो नरमेधं, अष्टाविंशतिशतं (१२८) च विश्वजितं यज्ञं कृतवानस्मि; तथापि देवेश्वर! तेषां यज्ञानां फलेनापि नाहमिहागतवान्।
भगीरथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhagīratha emphasizes that sheer accumulation of ritual acts—lavish gifts and repeated sacrifices—does not automatically guarantee the desired spiritual or existential attainment; some deeper factor (such as intention, purity, truthfulness, or a specific unresolved cause) must determine the outcome.
Bhagīratha addresses a supreme divine figure, recounting the vast scale of his charities and Vedic sacrifices (agnicayana, sarvamedha, naramedha, viśvajit) and expressing that, despite these, he has not attained the expected result—setting up a search for the true reason behind his present condition.