The Sanctity of Gayā: Raibhya’s Encounter and Hymn to Viṣṇu
Gadādhara
सोऽब्रवीद् रैभ्य किं कार्यं तपश्चरसि सुव्रत । एवमुक्त्वा दिवो भूमिं मापयामास वै पुमान् ॥ ७.५ ॥
so 'bravīd raibhya kiṃ kāryaṃ tapaś carasi suvrata | evam uktvā divo bhūmiṃ māpayāmāsa vai pumān || 7.5 ||
اس نے کہا—اے سُوورت رَیبھْیَ! تم کس مقصد کے لیے تپسیا کرتے ہو؟ یہ کہہ کر وہ شخص آسمان سے زمین کو ناپنے لگا۔
Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)
It reflects a Purāṇic narrative style where ascetic practice (tapaḥ) is questioned for its intended aim, alongside motifs of cosmic or terrestrial measurement that appear in early Sanskrit cosmographical imagination.
No specific toponym is named in this verse; it references the earth (bhūmi) and the sky/heaven (divaḥ) in a cosmographic sense rather than a localized site.
The verse foregrounds intentionality in ascetic practice: austerity (tapaḥ) is presented as meaningful when linked to a clear purpose (kārya).
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.