Shloka 16
Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
वाजिनां बाह्विजातानामयुतान्यददं दश । कर्काणां हेममालानां न च तेनाहमागत:
vājīnāṃ bāhvijātānām ayutāny adadaṃ daśa | karkāṇāṃ hemamālānāṃ na ca tenāham āgataḥ ||
婆伽罗陀说道：“我曾施舍一万匹最上等的良马，又大量布施金制花鬘；然而凭这些赠施，我仍未达到我所追求的目标。”
भगीरथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Material generosity, even on a vast scale, does not automatically yield the highest spiritual or ethical attainment; the desired end depends on inner disposition, right intention, and the appropriate dharmic means—not merely the quantity of gifts.
Bhagīratha reflects on his own acts of giving—donating large numbers of fine horses and golden garlands—and admits that these offerings did not bring him to the attainment he was aiming for, setting up a discussion on what truly leads to fulfillment or merit.