Shloka 12
ययाति–अष्टक–प्रतर्दन संवादः | Yayāti’s Dialogue with Aṣṭaka and Pratardana on Merit, Gifts, and Ethical Restraint
अन्त्येषु स विनिक्षिप्य पुत्रान् यदुपुरोगमान् । फलमूलाशनो राजा वने संन्यवसच्चिरम्,नहुषपुत्र महाराज ययातिने अपने छोटे पुत्र पूरको राज्यपर अभिषिक्त करके यदु आदि अन्य पुत्रोंको सीमान्त (किनारेके देशों)-में रख दिया। फिर बड़ी प्रसन्नताके साथ वे वनमें गये। वहाँ फल-मूलका आहार करते हुए उन्होंने दीर्घकालतक वनमें निवास किया
antyeṣu sa vinikṣipya putrān yadupurogāmān | phalamūlāśano rājā vane saṃnyavasac ciram ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having assigned his sons—led by Yadu—to the frontier regions, the king lived for a long time in the forest, sustaining himself on fruits and roots. The episode underscores a ruler’s deliberate withdrawal after securing succession and order, choosing austerity and restraint over continued attachment to power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should ensure orderly succession and the stability of the realm, then practice restraint and detachment; true fulfillment is not clinging to power but living with self-control and simplicity.
After arranging his sons’ positions—placing them in frontier regions with Yadu foremost—the king withdraws from royal life and lives in the forest for a long time on fruits and roots.