Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अभ्रावकाशा वर्षासु हेमन्ते जलसंश्रया: । ग्रीष्मे च पजच तपस: शश्वच्च मितभोजना:,वे वर्षकि समय खुले आकाशके नीचे और सर्दीमें पानीके भीतर खड़े रहते हैं। जब गर्मी आती है, तब पंचाग्निसे शरीरको तपाते हैं और सदा स्वल्प भोजन करनेवाले होते हैं

Transliteration

abhrāvakāśā varṣāsu hemante jalasaṃśrayāḥ | grīṣme ca pañcāgnitapasāḥ śaśvac ca mitabhojanāḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “In the rainy season they remain exposed beneath the open sky; in winter they take refuge in water, standing immersed. When the heat of summer comes, they subject their bodies to the austerity (tapas) of the five fires, and they continually live on scant food.”

Word by Word

अभ्रावकाशाःthose who stay in open sky (without shelter)

वर्षासुin the rainy seasons

हेमन्तेin winter

जलसंश्रयाःthose who take refuge in water (stand in water)

ग्रीष्मेin summer

चand

पञ्चाग्निwith the five fires (panchagni austerity)

तपसःof austerity / of penance

शश्वत्always

चand

मितभोजनाःmoderate-eaters / those of scant food

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

pañcāgni (five fires)

rainy season (varṣā)

winter (hemanta)

summer (grīṣma)

water (jala)

open sky (abhrāvakāśa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights rigorous self-discipline (tapas) and restraint (mitabhojana) as ethical-spiritual practices: enduring seasonal extremes and limiting food symbolize mastery over comfort-seeking impulses, a key ideal in Śānti Parva’s dharma discourse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is describing the conduct of severe ascetics: they remain under the open sky in the rains, stand in water during winter, perform the five-fire austerity in summer, and consistently eat very little—illustrating exemplary tapas within the broader teaching on dharma and peace.