Shloka 15

ययाति–अष्टक–प्रतर्दन संवादः | Yayāti’s Dialogue with Aṣṭaka and Pratardana on Merit, Gifts, and Ethical Restraint

Devanagari script

पूर्ण वर्षसहस्रं च एवंवृत्तिरभून्नप: । अब्भक्ष: शरदस्त्रिंशदासीज्नियतवामड्मना:,राजाको इसी वृत्तिसे रहते हुए पूरे एक हजार वर्ष बीत गये। उन्होंने मन और वाणीपर संयम करके तीस वर्षोतक केवल जलका आहार किया

Transliteration

pūrṇaṃ varṣasahasraṃ ca evaṃvṛttir abhūn nṛpaḥ | abbhakṣaḥ śaradās triṃśad āsīj jitatavāgmanāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Thus maintaining this discipline, the king completed a full thousand years. With speech and mind brought under control, he lived for thirty autumn seasons taking only water as his sustenance—an austere vow marked by restraint and steadfastness.

Word by Word

पूर्णम्full, complete

वर्षसहस्रम्a thousand years

चand

एवम्thus, in this manner

वृत्तिःmode of living, practice

अभूत्was, became

नपःthe ascetic (Napaḥ, proper name/epithet)

अप्-भक्षःwater-eating; subsisting on water

शरदःautumns; years (by seasons)

त्रिंशत्thirty

आसीत्was

नियत-वाक्-मनाःwith speech and mind restrained

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

nṛpaḥ (the king, unnamed in this verse)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas grounded in restraint: conquering speech and mind and sustaining a disciplined vow over long periods is portrayed as ethically significant self-mastery rather than mere physical hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a king continuing an established ascetic regimen for a thousand years, and for thirty autumn seasons living only on water while maintaining control over mind and speech.