Shloka 4

देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच धर्म पुत्र निषेवस्व सुतीक्ष्णौ च हिमातपौ । क्षुत्पिपासे च वायुं च जय नित्यं जितेन्द्रिय:,व्यासजीने कहा--बेटा! तुम सदा धर्मका सेवन करते रहो और जितेन्द्रिय होकर कड़ीसे कड़ी सर्दी, गर्मी, भूख-प्यासको सहन करते हुए प्राणवायुपर विजय प्राप्त करो

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | dharma-putra niṣevāsva su-tīkṣṇau ca himātapau | kṣut-pipāse ca vāyuṃ ca jaya nityaṃ jitendriyaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa sprach: „O Sohn des Dharma, übe unablässig die Rechtschaffenheit. Mit bezwungenen Sinnen ertrage selbst die scharfen Extreme von Kälte und Hitze, besiege Hunger und Durst; und, stets selbstbeherrscht, gewinne die Herrschaft über den Lebenshauch (prāṇa).“

Word by Word

व्यासःVyasa

उवाचsaid

धर्मपुत्रO son of Dharma (Yudhishthira)

निषेवस्वpractice; resort to

सुतीक्ष्णौvery severe (two: cold and heat)

चand

हिमातपौcold and heat

क्षुत्पिपासेhunger and thirst

चand

वायुम्wind; vital air (prana)

चand

जयconquer

नित्यम्always

जितेन्द्रियःself-controlled (having conquered the senses)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Dharma-putra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

vāyu (prāṇa, vital breath)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vyāsa teaches disciplined dharma: cultivate righteousness while mastering the senses, patiently enduring bodily hardships (cold, heat, hunger, thirst) and developing control over prāṇa (vital breath), i.e., inner steadiness rather than dependence on comfort.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Vyāsa addresses Dharma-putra (Yudhiṣṭhira) with counsel on ethical and ascetic self-training—urging him to live by dharma and strengthen inner mastery through endurance and control of the life-breath.