Shloka 17
अव्यक्त-गुण-पुरुषविवेकः | Avyakta, Guṇas, and Discrimination of Puruṣa
षड्रात्रभोजनश्लैव तथैवाष्टहभोजन: । सप्तरात्रदशाहारो द्वादशशाहिकभोजन:,कभी छ: रात बिताकर खाता है और कभी सात, आठ, दस अथवा बारह दिनोंके बाद अन्न ग्रहण करता है
ṣaḍrātrabhojanaś caiva tathaivāṣṭāhabhojanaḥ | saptarātradaśāhāro dvādaśāhikabhojanaḥ ||
Vasiṣṭha dit : « L’un ne mange qu’après six nuits ; un autre, de même, après huit jours. Un autre prend nourriture après sept nuits ou après dix jours ; et un autre encore ne mange qu’une fois en douze jours. »
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches disciplined restraint through measured fasting—showing that austerity can be practiced in graded forms, with control over appetite serving ethical and spiritual self-mastery.
Vasiṣṭha is describing different ascetic regimens in which individuals take food only after fixed intervals (six nights, eight days, seven nights, ten days, or twelve days), illustrating varieties of tapas discussed in the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct.