Shloka 216
अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः
Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning
तत्र वायुजलाहारा चचार नियम पुन: । नृपश्रेष्ठ तदनन्तर वह कन्या कौशिकी नदीके तटपर गयी। वहाँ वायु और जलका आहार करके उसने पुनः कठोर नियमोंका पालन किया
tatra vāyu-jalāhārā cacāra niyamaḥ punaḥ | nṛpaśreṣṭha tad-anantaraṃ sā kanyā kauśikī-nadīke taṭaparaṃ gatā |
هناك عادت إلى التزام رياضاتٍ صارمة، لا تتقوّت إلا بالهواء والماء. ثم، يا أفضلَ الملوك، مضت تلك الفتاة إلى ضفة نهر كوشيكي (Kauśikī)، وهناك، وهي تقتات بالهواء والماء، واصلت مراعاة النذور والقيود الشديدة.
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the dharmic value of niyama and tapas—disciplined self-regulation and austerity—as a means of moral strength and spiritual steadiness. Living on minimal sustenance (air and water) symbolizes mastery over desire and perseverance in a chosen vow.
Bhīṣma describes a maiden who resumes severe observances, taking only air and water as sustenance. Afterward she goes to the bank of the Kauśikī river, where she continues her rigorous discipline.