Shloka 6
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
तं तु दृष्टवा वचः प्राह ब्रह्मा राजन् भगीरथम् । कथं भगीरथागास्त्वमिमं लोकं॑ दुरासदम्
taṁ tu dṛṣṭvā vacaḥ prāha brahmā rājan bhagīratham | kathaṁ bhagīrathāgās tvam imaṁ lokaṁ durāsadam, rājan ||
అతనిని చూచి బ్రహ్మ దేవుడు రాజు భగీరథునితో పలికెను—“రాజా! ఈ లోకం అతి దుర్లభము; భగీరథా, నీవు ఇక్కడికి ఎలా వచ్చితివి?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Access to higher realms is portrayed as rare and difficult (durāsada), implying that extraordinary merit, discipline, and dharmic purpose are required; even a great king’s arrival there invites scrutiny about the means and worthiness.
Bhīṣma narrates that Brahmā sees King Bhagīratha present in a hard-to-reach divine realm and questions him directly about how he managed to arrive there.