Shloka 169
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
एकं वर्षशतं चैव फलाहारस्ततो 5भवम् । द्वितीयं शीर्णपर्णाशी तृतीयं चाम्बुभोजन:
ekaṃ varṣaśataṃ caiva phalāhāras tato 'bhavam | dvitīyaṃ śīrṇaparṇāśī tṛtīyaṃ cāmbubhojanaḥ ||
Vāsudeva said: “For a full hundred years I lived on fruits alone. In the second century I sustained myself by eating only fallen, dried leaves; and in the third century I maintained my life by taking nothing but water.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tapas (austerity) and disciplined restraint as ethical power: progressively reducing dependence on food—fruits, then fallen leaves, then only water—illustrates endurance, self-control, and commitment to a higher dharmic purpose.
Vāsudeva narrates a sequence of long austerities undertaken over three centuries, describing the specific regimen of sustenance in each period to emphasize the intensity and sincerity of his ascetic practice.