Shloka 263
भुदुक्तेडन्यस्मिन् कदाचित् स ष्े काले द्विजोत्तम: | वे उत्तम व्रतधारी द्विज सदा छठे कालमें अर्थात् तीन-तीन दिनपर ही स्त्री-पुत्र आदिके साथ भोजन किया करते थे। यदि किसी दिन उस समय भोजन न मिला तो दूसरा छठा काल आनेपर ही वे द्विजश्रेष्ठ अन्न ग्रहण करते थे
ṣaṣṭhe kāle kadācit sa dvijottamaḥ | uttama-vrata-dhārī sa dvijaḥ sadā ṣaṣṭhe kāle (tridināntare) strī-putrādibhiḥ sārdhaṁ bhojanaṁ kurvanti sma | yadi kadācit tasmin samaye bhojanaṁ na labheta, tarhi dvitīya-ṣaṣṭha-kāle eva sa dvija-śreṣṭho 'nnam aśnīyāt |
Nakula said: “Once, there was an excellent brahmin, a man of strict and noble vows. He had a fixed discipline: he would eat only at the ‘sixth time’—that is, once every three days—and even then he would take food together with his wife, children, and dependents. If on any occasion he did not obtain food at that appointed time, he would not eat earlier out of impatience or need; he would wait until the next sixth time and only then accept food.”
नकुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The core teaching is steadfast self-restraint (niyama) and fidelity to a chosen vow: one should not abandon discipline due to discomfort or uncertainty, and one should practice restraint in a way that also accounts for one’s household responsibilities.
Nakula describes a brahmin renowned for strict observance who eats only once every three days, together with his family. If food is unavailable at the appointed time, he waits until the next cycle rather than breaking his rule.