Shloka 7

Yogakṣema, Purohita, and the Mucukunda–Vaiśravaṇa Dialogue (योगक्षेम–पुरोहित–मुचुकुन्दवैश्रवणसंवादः)

Devanagari script

तत उग्रं तपस्तप्त्वा वसिष्ठो धर्मवित्तम: | रक्षांस्युपावधीत्‌ तस्य पन्थानं चाप्यविन्दत,तब धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ महर्षि वसिष्ठजीने घोर तपस्या करके उन राक्षसोंका विनाश कर डाला और राजाके लिये विजय पानेका मार्ग प्राप्त कर लिया

Transliteration

tata ugraṁ tapas taptvā vasiṣṭho dharmavittamaḥ | rakṣāṁsy upāvadhīt tasya panthānaṁ cāpy avindata ||

Translation

แล้วพระวสิษฐ์ ผู้เลิศในหมู่ผู้รู้ธรรมะ ได้บำเพ็ญตบะอันเข้มกล้า ด้วยเดชตบะนั้นทรงทำลายเหล่ารากษส และยังค้นพบหนทางแห่งชัยชนะให้แก่พระราชา

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

उग्रम्fierce, severe

तपःausterity, penance

तप्त्वाhaving performed (austerity)

वसिष्ठःVasiṣṭha

धर्मवित्तमःbest knower of dharma

रक्षांसिdemons, rākṣasas

उपावधीत्slew, killed

तस्यof him/that (king)

पन्थानम्path, way

चand

अपिalso

अविन्दत्found, obtained

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Vasiṣṭha

Rakṣasas

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?

The verse presents tapas guided by dharma as a legitimate power for protection: a true knower of dharma removes destructive forces and reveals a righteous means to success, implying that victory should be pursued through lawful and ethically grounded methods.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma recounts that the sage Vasiṣṭha undertook severe austerities, destroyed the rākṣasas who were obstructing the situation, and secured for the king a viable route or strategy leading to victory.