Shloka 22
Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha
Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context
प्रविष्टमाश्रमं चापि पूर्वमेव ददर्श सः । असितो देवलो राजंश्रिन्तयामास बुद्धिमान्,राजन! समुद्रके समान अत्यन्त प्रभावशाली मुनिको समुद्रके जलमें स्नान करके अपनेसे पहले ही आश्रममें प्रविष्ट हुआ देख बुद्धिमान् असित देवलको पुनः बड़ी चिन्ता हुई
praviṣṭam āśramaṃ cāpi pūrvam eva dadarśa saḥ | asito devalo rājan cintayāmāsa buddhimān ||
प्रविष्टमाश्रमं चापि पूर्वमेव ददर्श सः। असितो देवलो राजन् चिन्तयामास बुद्धिमान्॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the wise can be shaken by subtle ego—such as anxiety over being surpassed. The verse points to the ethical need for vigilance, humility, and mastery over competitive impulses, especially in spiritual life.
The speaker reports that the hermitage had already been entered by someone earlier. Seeing this, the sage Asita Devala becomes troubled and begins to ponder anxiously, indicating a renewed inner agitation upon encountering an unexpected precedence.