Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 23
नारदस्य वच: श्रुत्वा क्रुद्धः प्राज्वलदड्धिरा: । अपिबत् तेजसा वारि विष्ट भ्य सुमहातपा:
nāradāsya vacaḥ śrutvā kruddhaḥ prājvalad aṅgirāḥ | apibat tejasā vāri viṣṭabhya sumahātapāḥ ||
Nang marinig ni Utathya—anak ni Aṅgiras—ang mga salita ni Nārada, siya’y nag-alab sa galit. Ang dakilang asceta, sa lakas ng kanyang tapas, pinigil ang mga tubig at sinimulang inumin ang mga ito sa pamamagitan ng kanyang espirituwal na ningning.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between spiritual power (tapas/tejas) and self-control: even a great ascetic can be driven by anger to use extraordinary power in a forceful, potentially harmful way, implying that mastery over krodha is integral to dharma.
After hearing Nārada’s statement, Utathya becomes enraged; empowered by his austerities, he restrains the waters and begins to drink them up through his tejas, demonstrating the formidable potency attributed to sages in epic narrative.