Shloka 21
ऋभु–निदाघ-संवादः—अद्वैत-उपदेशः, समता, वासुदेव-स्वरूप-एकत्वम्
क्षुत्तृष्णे देहधर्माख्ये न ममैते यतो द्विज ततः क्षुत्संभवाभावात् तृप्तिर् अस्त्य् एव मे सदा
kṣuttṛṣṇe dehadharmākhye na mamaite yato dvija tataḥ kṣutsaṃbhavābhāvāt tṛptir asty eva me sadā
Hunger and thirst, O twice-born, are called properties of the body; they are not mine. Therefore, since hunger never arises in me, contentment abides in me always.
A realized teacher/ascetic (in Parasara’s narrative) addressing a brāhmaṇa as “dvija”
Concept: Hunger and thirst belong to the body, not to the true ‘I’; therefore, for one established in the Self, contentment is constant.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Practice daily ‘deha-ātma-viveka’: label sensations as body-properties, cultivate steady remembrance of the Self and the Indwelling Lord.
Vishishtadvaita: Supports the distinction of self and body while implying the self’s steadiness arises through reliance on the Antaryāmin (Viṣṇu) who sustains consciousness and order.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: shanta
Antaryamin: Yes
FAQs
They are presented as mere bodily properties (deha-dharma), not attributes of the true Self; freedom begins by refusing to identify with them.
By removing the sense of “I” from bodily conditions; when hunger does not ‘arise in me’ as an identity, contentment becomes constant.
The verse supports the Purana’s broader teaching that the Self’s stability and fulfillment ultimately rest in the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), beyond changing bodily states.