Shloka 23
Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma
आहारनियमं चैव देशे काले च सात्विकम् । तत् परीक्ष्यानुवर्तेत तत्प्रवृत्त्यनुपूर्वकम्
āhāra-niyamaṃ caiva deśe kāle ca sāttvikam | tat parīkṣyānuvarteta tat-pravṛtty-anupūrvakam ||
قال بهيشما: «ليتخذ المرءُ نظامًا منضبطًا في الطعام يكون ساتفِيًّا (سَاتْفِيكَا) ملائمًا للمكان والزمان. فإذا فحص ذلك الغذاء—محاسنه ومساوئه—فليتبعه خطوةً خطوةً على وجه الترتيب، ولا يأخذ إلا ما يعين على الممارسة الروحية ونيل المرام.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Regulate one’s diet with discernment: choose sāttvika food appropriate to place and season, evaluate its benefits and drawbacks, and adopt it gradually in a way that supports spiritual practice and yogic progress.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on right conduct and inner discipline, Bhīṣma advises the listener on practical ascetic guidelines—here, how to manage food intake as part of a broader regimen aimed at self-mastery and spiritual attainment.