Shloka 4
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
व्यास उवाच धर्म पुत्र निषेवस्व सुतीक्ष्णौ च हिमातपौ । क्षुत्पिपासे च वायुं च जय नित्यं जितेन्द्रिय:,व्यासजीने कहा--बेटा! तुम सदा धर्मका सेवन करते रहो और जितेन्द्रिय होकर कड़ीसे कड़ी सर्दी, गर्मी, भूख-प्यासको सहन करते हुए प्राणवायुपर विजय प्राप्त करो
vyāsa uvāca | dharma-putra niṣevāsva su-tīkṣṇau ca himātapau | kṣut-pipāse ca vāyuṃ ca jaya nityaṃ jitendriyaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: “O son of Dharma, continually practice righteousness. With your senses mastered, endure even the sharp extremes of cold and heat, and conquer hunger and thirst; and, ever self-controlled, gain mastery over the vital breath (prāṇa).”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vyāsa teaches disciplined dharma: cultivate righteousness while mastering the senses, patiently enduring bodily hardships (cold, heat, hunger, thirst) and developing control over prāṇa (vital breath), i.e., inner steadiness rather than dependence on comfort.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Vyāsa addresses Dharma-putra (Yudhiṣṭhira) with counsel on ethical and ascetic self-training—urging him to live by dharma and strengthen inner mastery through endurance and control of the life-breath.