Shloka 12
महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self
दन्तोलूखलिका: केचिदश्मकुट्टास्तथा परे | शुक्लपक्षे पिबन्त्येके यवागूं क्वथितां सकृत्
dantolūkhalikāḥ kecid aśmakuṭṭās tathā pare | śuklapakṣe pibanty eke yavāgūṃ kvathitāṃ sakṛt ||
Dijo Vyāsa: Algunos viven usando solo sus dientes como mortero, mientras otros machacan con piedras. En la quincena luminosa (śukla-pakṣa), algunos beben una sola vez al día una porción de gachas hervidas (yavāgū), mostrando las muchas disciplinas austeras con que los buscadores refrenan el apetito y cultivan el autodominio.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the diversity and rigor of ascetic disciplines, emphasizing restraint of the senses and appetite as a means to cultivate self-mastery and ethical steadiness (tapas as a support to dharma).
Vyāsa is describing different kinds of ascetics and their practices—some adopting extreme methods of preparing food and others limiting themselves to a single drink of boiled gruel during the bright fortnight—illustrating graded forms of austerity.