ऊर्ध्वरेतास्तपस्युग्रो नियताशी च संयमी ।
शापानुग्रहयोः शक्तः सत्यसन्धो भवेदृषिः ॥
ūrdhva-retās tapasy-ugro niyatāśī ca saṁyamī |
śāpānugrahayoḥ śaktaḥ satya-sandho bhaved ṛṣiḥ ||
(Devala Ṛṣi; cited in the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.109)
“One who is of upward [-held] semen [i.e., celibate], fierce in austerity, a restrained eater, controlled, capable of cursing and blessing, and fixed in truth, shall be [considered] a ṛṣi [i.e., seer, sage].”