Shloka 23
Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma
आहारनियमं चैव देशे काले च सात्विकम् । तत् परीक्ष्यानुवर्तेत तत्प्रवृत्त्यनुपूर्वकम्
āhāra-niyamaṃ caiva deśe kāle ca sāttvikam | tat parīkṣyānuvarteta tat-pravṛtty-anupūrvakam ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Qu’on adopte une règle alimentaire disciplinée, sāttvika, adaptée au lieu et à la saison. Après avoir examiné ce régime — ses mérites et ses défauts — qu’on le suive pas à pas, selon l’ordre convenable, ne prenant que ce qui soutient la pratique spirituelle et l’accomplissement. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Regulate one’s diet with discernment: choose sāttvika food appropriate to place and season, evaluate its benefits and drawbacks, and adopt it gradually in a way that supports spiritual practice and yogic progress.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on right conduct and inner discipline, Bhīṣma advises the listener on practical ascetic guidelines—here, how to manage food intake as part of a broader regimen aimed at self-mastery and spiritual attainment.