Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 124
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
कुतः क्षीरं वनस्थानां मुनीनां गिरिवासिनाम् | “जो बालखिल्योंद्वारा सेवित दिव्य नदी गंगाका सहारा लिये बैठे हैं, पर्वतों और वनोंमें रहनेवाले उन मुनियोंको दूध कहाँसे मिलेगा? || १२३ $ ।।
kutaḥ kṣīraṃ vanasthānāṃ munīnāṃ girivāsinām |
Vāsudeva said: “From where would milk come to those sages who dwell in forests and live upon mountains?” The question underscores an ethical concern: ascetics who have renounced settled life and possessions cannot be expected to obtain household provisions; therefore, one should not impose on them demands or standards suited to worldly life.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not expect renunciants living in forests and mountains to provide or procure comforts typical of household life; ethical judgment must consider a person’s station (āśrama) and circumstances.
Vāsudeva poses a rhetorical question to highlight the practical reality of ascetic life: sages living away from settlements lack access to domestic resources like milk, implying that demands placed upon them should be restrained and fair.