Shloka 99
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
यातुधान्युवाच नामनैरुक्तमेतत् ते दुःखव्याभाषिताक्षरम् | नैतद् धारयितुं शक््यं गच्छावतर पद्मिनीम्
yātudhānī uvāca nāma-nairuktam etat te duḥkha-vyābhāṣitākṣaram | na etad dhārayituṁ śakyaṁ gaccha āvatara padminīm ||
Yātudhānī nói: “Lời giải thích theo ngữ nguyên về tên ngươi cũng khiến ta khó mà phát âm; các âm tiết tuôn ra trong nhọc nhằn và đau đớn. Vì thế ta không thể ghi nhớ. Đi đi—hãy xuống padminī (hồ/giếng bậc đầy sen) nữa.”
विश्वामित्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech and understanding: true knowledge (such as a meaningful explanation of a name) requires clarity of utterance and the capacity to retain it. The demoness’ inability to pronounce or remember suggests inner unfitness for higher understanding, implying that spiritual or moral insight is not merely heard but must be properly received, articulated, and held.
In a tense exchange, the yātudhānī responds to Viśvāmitra that even speaking the etymological explanation of his name is painful and difficult for her, and that remembering it is impossible. She then orders him to go and descend into the padminī, indicating a further step in the encounter—either a test, a coercive command, or a setup within the episode’s unfolding trial.