Shloka 85
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
वसिष्ठ बोले--मेरा नाम वसिष्ठ है, सबसे श्रेष्ठ होनेके कारण लोग मुझे वरिष्ठ भी कहते हैं। मैं गृहस्थ-आश्रममें वास करता हूँ; अतः वसिष्ठता (ऐश्वर्य-सम्पत्ति) और वासके कारण तुम मुझे वसिष्ठ समझो ।।
vasiṣṭha uvāca—mama nāma vasiṣṭhaḥ; sarvaśreṣṭhatvāt lokā māṃ variṣṭham api vadanti. ahaṃ gṛhasthāśrame vasāmi; ato vasiṣṭhatāyāḥ (aiśvarya-sampatteḥ) vāsāc ca tvaṃ māṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ vijānīhi. ||
yātudhānī uvāca—mune! tvayā svanāmnaḥ kṛtā niruktiḥ; tasyā api akṣarāṇāṃ vyāhāraḥ duṣkaraḥ. ahaṃ etan nāma dhārayituṃ na śaknomi. gaccha, padminīṃ (taḍāgaṃ) praviśa. ||
婆悉吒说道：“我名婆悉吒。因世人视我为最胜，亦称我为‘婆利悉吒’（最优者）。我住于居家之道；故由‘婆悉吒性’——富足与卓越——以及由居住（vāsa）之义，当知我为婆悉吒。” 夜叉女说道：“牟尼啊！你所说的名义训释，连其音节都难以发出。我记不住这名字。你去吧——进入那莲池之中。”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how a name can be interpreted through qualities and conduct: Vasiṣṭha links his identity to excellence (variṣṭhatva) and to the dharmic stability of the householder stage, suggesting that social roles and virtues can ground one’s reputation and ‘name’.
Vasiṣṭha explains the meaning of his name through wordplay and self-description. The demoness Yātudhānī responds dismissively, saying the explanation is too difficult even to pronounce or remember, and orders him to go and enter a lotus-pond.