Shloka 24
उशनसः (शुक्रस्य) चरितम् — The Account of Uśanā (Śukra): Yoga, Grievance, and Pacification
वृत्र बवाच प्रत्यक्षमेतद् भवतस्तथान्येषां मनीषिणाम् । मया यज्जयलुब्धेन पुरा तप्तं महत् तप:
Vṛtra uvāca pratyakṣam etad bhavatas tathānyēṣāṁ manīṣiṇām | mayā yaj-jaya-lubdhena purā taptaṁ mahat tapaḥ ||
وِرترا نے کہا—اے برہمن! یہ بات آپ اور دوسرے دانا رِشیوں کے لیے بھی عیاں ہے کہ میں نے پہلے فتح کی لالچ میں نہایت سخت تپسیا کی تھی۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that austerity (tapas) is ethically colored by intention: even great spiritual effort can be compromised when driven by craving for victory or power. It points toward examining motives, not merely actions.
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse, a quoted speech of Vṛtra appears: Vṛtra addresses a revered listener (implicitly Brahmā and other sages), stating that they have directly witnessed his earlier, intense austerities performed out of desire for victory.