Shloka 4
नारद–शुक संवादः
Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga
निष्पाप नरेश! पहलेकी बात है, मैंने बड़ी भारी तपस्या करके तपनेवाले भगवान् सूर्यकी आराधना की थी। उससे प्रसन्न होकर भगवान् सूर्यने मुझसे कहा-- ।।
niṣpāpa nareśa! pūrvavṛttānto 'yam—mayā mahātapasā tapyamānena bhagavān sūrya ārādhitaḥ. tena prasannena bhagavatā sūryeṇa mama proktam—“varaṁ vṛṇīṣva viprarṣe yad iṣṭaṁ te sudurlabham; tat te dāsyāmi prītātmā, matprasādo hi durlabhaḥ.”
阎若婆迦（Yājñavalkya）说道：“无罪之王啊，这是古老的往事。昔日我行极严苦行，礼敬那为诸修行者所崇奉的神圣日神。日神悦我，对我说道：‘婆罗门大圣（brahmarṣi）啊，择取一愿——凡你所欲，即便极难得之，我亦将以欢喜之心赐予你；因为我的恩泽，素来罕有。’”
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sincere tapas (disciplined austerity) and devoted worship can draw divine favor; yet such grace is portrayed as rare and therefore ethically weighty—one should choose boons responsibly, aligned with dharma.
Yājñavalkya recounts a past episode to the king: after intense austerities he worshipped the Sun-god, who, pleased, invites him to ask for any boon—even something very difficult—emphasizing the rarity of the Sun’s grace.