Shloka 11

Baka Dālbhya at Avakīrṇa-tīrtha: Rāṣṭra-kṣaya and Release through Prasāda (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 40)

Devanagari script

तथा च कौशिकस्तात तपोनित्यो जितेन्द्रिय: । तपसा वै सुतप्तेन ब्राह्मणत्वमवाप्तवान्‌,तात! कुशिकवंशी विश्वामित्र भी वहीं निरन्तर इन्द्रिय-संयमपूर्वक तपस्या करते थे। उस भारी तपस्याके प्रभावसे उन्हें ब्राह्मणत्वकी प्राप्ति हुई

Transliteration

tathā ca kauśikas tāta taponityo jitendriyaḥ | tapasā vai sutaptena brāhmaṇatvam avāptavān ||

Translation

తాతా! కౌశికుడు (విశ్వామిత్రుడు) కూడా అక్కడ ఎల్లప్పుడూ ఇంద్రియనిగ్రహంతో తపస్సు చేసేవాడు. సక్రమంగా ఆచరించిన ఘోర తపస్సు వల్ల అతడు బ్రాహ్మణత్వాన్ని పొందాడు.

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

चand

कौशिकःKaushika (Vishvamitra, descendant of Kushika)

तातdear one / son (address)

तपः-नित्यःever devoted to austerity

जितेन्द्रियःone who has conquered the senses

तपसाby austerity

वैindeed, surely

सुतप्तेनwell-performed / intensely practiced

ब्राह्मणत्वम्Brahminhood, status of a Brahmana

अवाप्तवान्obtained, attained

तातdear one / son (address)

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kauśika (Viśvāmitra)

Kuśika (lineage reference)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sustained tapas coupled with mastery over the senses (jitendriyatā) is presented as a morally and spiritually transformative discipline, capable of elevating one’s inner status and qualities—here expressed as attaining brāhmaṇatva.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana recounts that Kauśika (Viśvāmitra), through continuous austerity and strict self-restraint, performed intense tapas and thereby attained brāhmaṇa status, underscoring his ascetic achievement within the larger discourse.