Shloka 16
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
द्वितीयश्षापि मे मासो जल॑ भक्षयतो गत: । निराहारस्तृतीये5थ मासे पाण्डवनन्दन
dvitīyaś cāpi me māso jala-bhakṣayato gataḥ | nirāhāras tṛtīye 'tha māse pāṇḍava-nandana |
Arjuna said: “My second month also passed with me subsisting only on water. Then, O delight of the Pāṇḍavas, in the third month I remained entirely without food. Yet even under such austerity my strength did not wane—something that seemed truly astonishing.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tapas (austerity) and steadfast self-control: disciplined restraint can sustain resolve and inner strength, and extraordinary endurance is portrayed as a fruit of determined practice.
Arjuna describes the progression of his austerities over months—first living on minimal sustenance (water), then complete fasting—emphasizing that despite the severity of the vow his strength did not diminish, underscoring the intensity and efficacy of his penance.