Shloka 15

Āśramadharma and the Marks of the Muni

Yayāti–Aṣṭaka Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

पूर्ण वर्षमहस्नं मे विषयासक्तचेतस: । तथाप्यनुदिनं तृष्णा ममैतेष्वभिजायते,“देखो, विषयभोगमें आसक्तचित्त हुए मेरे एक हजार वर्ष बीत गये, तो भी प्रतिदिन उन विषयोंके लिये ही तृष्णा पैदा होती है

Transliteration

pūrṇaṁ varṣa-sahasraṁ me viṣayāsakta-cetasaḥ | tathāpy anudinaṁ tṛṣṇā mamaiteṣv abhijāyate ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Though a full thousand years have passed for me with my mind absorbed in sense-objects, still, day after day, craving for those very pleasures is born anew within me.”

Word by Word

पूर्णम्full, complete

वर्षसहस्रम्a thousand years

मेof me, my

विषयासक्तचेतसःof (me) whose mind is attached to sense-objects

तथाthus, even so

अपिeven, also

अनुदिनम्day by day, daily

तृष्णाcraving, thirst

ममof me, my

एतेषुin/for these (objects)

अभिजायतेarises, is produced

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sense-enjoyment does not naturally end desire; even long indulgence can leave craving intact or renewed. The ethical implication is that mastery of the mind (self-restraint and discernment) is required, not merely the passage of time or repeated gratification.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (Vaiśampāyana, narrating) voices a reflective observation: despite spending an immense span of time with the mind attached to worldly objects, craving continues to arise daily, highlighting the persistent nature of tṛṣṇā.