Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)
यः स देवमनुष्याणां भयमुत्पादयिष्यति । त्रयाणामेव लोकानां सत्यमेतद् ब्रवीमि ते
yaḥ sa devamanuṣyāṇāṁ bhayam utpādayiṣyati | trayāṇām eva lokānāṁ satyam etad bravīmi te ||
ச்யவனர் கூறினார்—உன் அந்தப் பேரன் தன் தவத்தின் வலிமையால் தேவர்களுக்கும் மனிதர்களுக்கும் மட்டுமல்ல, மூன்று உலகங்களுக்கும் அச்சத்தை உண்டாக்குவான். இதை நான் உனக்கு உண்மையெனத் தெளிவாகச் சொல்கிறேன்.
च्यवन उवाच
Austerity (tapas) is portrayed as a morally weighty power: when intensified, it can shake the balance of the worlds and compel even gods to respond. The verse cautions that spiritual potency, if unchecked by dharma and self-restraint, can become a cause of fear rather than welfare.
Cyavana makes a truthful prediction to his listener: the listener’s grandson, empowered by severe tapas, will generate fear among gods and humans and across the three worlds. The statement functions as a warning and a declaration of the extraordinary consequences of ascetic power.