Shloka 5
Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share
शरीर योक्तुमिच्छामि तपसोग्रेण भारत । उपदिष्टमिहेच्छामि तत्त्वतो5हं विशाम्पते
śarīraṃ yoktum icchāmi tapasogreṇa bhārata | upadiṣṭam ihēcchāmi tattvato 'haṃ viśāṃpate ||
યુધિષ્ઠિરે કહ્યું— હે ભારત! કઠોર તપસ્યા દ્વારા હું મારા શરીરને સંયમિત કરવા ઇચ્છું છું। હે પ્રજાનાથ! આ વિષયમાં તત્ત્વતઃ યથાર્થ ઉપદેશ હું આપથી મેળવવા ઇચ્છું છું।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames austerity (tapas) as a disciplined yoking of the body, but insists that such practice must be guided by correct understanding (tattvataḥ). It highlights that ethical self-restraint is not mere self-torture; it requires principled instruction so that tapas supports dharma rather than ego, excess, or harm.
Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking a dharmic path after the great war, expresses a desire to undertake severe austerities to restrain his body. He respectfully addresses his elder/teacher figure as “Bhārata” and “lord of the people,” requesting a truthful, well-grounded teaching on how such austerity should be undertaken.