Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तिष्ठेयुरप्यभुज्जाना बहूनि दिवसान्यपि । शोषयेयुश्च गात्राणि स्वाध्यायै: संयतेन्द्रिया:,वे बहुत दिनोंतक बिना खाये रह सकते हैं और अपनी इन्द्रियोंको संयममें रखकर स्वाध्याय करते हुए शरीरको सुखा सकते हैं

Transliteration

tiṣṭheyur apy abhujjānā bahūni divasāny api | śoṣayeyuś ca gātrāṇi svādhyāyaiḥ saṃyatendriyāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Selbst ohne Nahrung konnten sie viele Tage standhaft verharren; und, die Sinne gezügelt, vermochten sie durch diszipliniertes Selbststudium (svādhyāya) ihren Leib auszudörren—ein Zeugnis der strengen Macht von Selbstbeherrschung und heiligem Wissen.

Word by Word

• तिष्ठेयुः: they could remain/stand
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (तिष्ठ)
• Form: Vidhi-ling (optative), 3rd, plural, Parasmaipada

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अभुज्जानाः: not eating (food)
• अभुज्जानाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभुज्जान (a-bhuj-jāna)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• दिवसानि: days
• दिवसानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• शोषयेयुः: they could dry up (cause to dry)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष् (शोषय)
• Form: Vidhi-ling (optative), 3rd, plural, Parasmaipada, true

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गात्राणि: limbs/body
• गात्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• स्वाध्यायैः: by (means of) self-study/recitation
• स्वाध्यायैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• संयतेन्द्रियाः: with restrained senses
• संयतेन्द्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयत-इन्द्रिय
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical-spiritual ideal of tapas: through fasting, restraint of the senses, and sustained svādhyāya, a person can cultivate extraordinary endurance and inner discipline, valuing self-mastery over bodily comfort.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing the capacities of highly disciplined practitioners—those who, by controlling appetite and senses and engaging in sacred study, can endure long periods without food and even allow the body to waste away, underscoring the power of ascetic practice within dharma discourse.