Shloka 3
कपिलगोसंवादे गृहस्थ-त्यागधर्मयोः प्रमाण्यविचारः
Kapila–Cow Dialogue: Authority of Householder and Renunciant Dharmas
प्राचीन कालमें जाजलि नामसे प्रसिद्ध एक ब्राह्मण थे, जो वनमें ही रहते और विचरते थे। उन महातपस्वी जाजलिने समुद्रके तटपर जाकर बड़ी भारी तपस्या की ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | prācīne kāle jājali-nāmnā prasiddha eko brāhmaṇo ’bhavat, yo vane eva vasati sma vicacāra ca | sa mahātapā jājaliḥ samudrasya taṭaṃ gatvā mahāntam tapaś cacāra || niyato niyatāhāraś valkalājinajaṭādharaḥ | malapaṅkadharo dhīmān bahūn varṣagaṇān muniḥ ||
Bhishma said: In ancient times there lived a Brahmin renowned by the name Jājali, who dwelt and wandered only in the forest. That great ascetic Jājali went to the seashore and undertook an intense austerity. Disciplined and eating only in measured, regulated ways, he wore bark-garments, a deerskin, and matted locks. Wise and steadfast, the sage stood for many years bearing upon his body layers of grime and mud—an emblem of unwavering endurance and self-restraint in pursuit of spiritual attainment.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds tapas and niyama—disciplined living and regulated consumption—as ethical foundations for spiritual progress. Jājali’s endurance symbolizes mastery over bodily comfort and appetite, presenting self-restraint as a key component of dharma.
Bhishma begins recounting an old account about the Brahmin ascetic Jājali. Jājali lives in the forest, goes to the ocean’s shore, and performs severe austerities for many years, marked by ascetic attire and unwavering physical endurance.