Shloka 23
एककालं चरन् भैक्ष्यं त्रीनथ द्वे च पज्च वा | स्नेहपाशं विमुच्याहं चरिष्यामि महीमिमाम्,जब घरोंमेंसे धुआँ निकलना बंद हो गया हो, मूसल रख दिया गया हो, चूल्हेकी आग बुझ गयी हो, घरके सब लोग खा-पी चुके हों, परोसी हुई थालीको इधर-उधर ले जानेका काम समाप्त हो गया हो और भिखमंगे भिक्षा लेकर लौट गये हों, ऐसे समयमें मैं एक ही वक्त भिक्षाके लिये दो, तीन या पाँच घरोंतक जाया करूँगा। सब ओरसे स्नेहका बन्धन तोड़कर इस पृथ्वीपर विचरता रहूँगा
ekakālaṃ caran bhaikṣyaṃ trīn atha dve ca pañca vā | snehapāśaṃ vimucyāhaṃ cariṣyāmi mahīm imām ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Living on alms taken only once a day, I shall go for begging to just two, three, or at most five houses. Casting off the bonds of affection, I will wander over this earth.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches restraint and detachment: limiting one’s dependence on others (begging only once daily and from a few houses) and cutting the ‘bond of affection’ that fuels attachment, so one can live ethically with self-control and inner freedom.
Yudhiṣṭhira declares his intention to adopt a mendicant, wandering life. He outlines a disciplined routine for collecting alms and emphasizes renouncing emotional ties, reflecting the Śānti Parva’s focus on peace, self-mastery, and dharma after the war.