Shloka 36
Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma
Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins
वायुभक्षस्ततः पश्चाद् बहून् वर्षमणानभूत् । न चास्य क्षीयते प्राणस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
vāyubhakṣas tataḥ paścād bahūn varṣamāṇān abhūt | na cāsya kṣīyate prāṇas tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
Bhishma sprach: „Danach lebte der Brahmane viele Jahre lang, indem er sich nur von Luft nährte. Und doch schwand seine Lebenskraft nicht; es erschien beinahe wundersam.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the power of tapas (austerity) and disciplined self-restraint: through sustained ascetic practice, the mind and life-force can attain remarkable steadiness, illustrating the ethical ideal of mastery over bodily cravings.
Bhīṣma describes an ascetic brāhmaṇa who progressively renounces nourishment until he lives only on air for many years; despite this extreme austerity, his prāṇa (vital force) does not wane, which is presented as astonishing.