Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
कश्यप उवाच नैतस्थेह यथास्माकं चत्वारश्न सहोदरा: । देहि देहीति भिक्षन्ति तेन पीवाउछुना सह
kaśyapa uvāca | naitastheha yathāsmākaṃ catvāraś ca sahodarāḥ | dehi dehīti bhikṣanti tena pīvau chunā saha |
Kāśyapa berkata: “Orang ini tidak seperti kita. Kita memiliki empat saudara sekandung; setiap hari mereka mengemis kepada kita sambil berkata, ‘Berilah, berilah!’ Karena itu kita menanggung beban memberi makan dan pakaian bagi keluarga besar. Sang pertapa ini tidak memiliki kecemasan seperti itu; maka ia tetap kenyang dan gemuk, bahkan bersama anjingnya.”
कश्यप उवाच
Kashyapa contrasts the householder’s obligations—supporting dependents who constantly ask for provisions—with the renunciant’s freedom from such anxieties. The point is that contentment and ‘well-being’ can arise from reduced attachment and responsibility, not from abundance.
Kashyapa explains why a renunciant appears comparatively well-nourished: unlike Kashyapa’s situation, where four brothers depend on him for daily sustenance, the ascetic has no large household to maintain and thus can live simply—sharing coarse food even with a dog—without the stress of provisioning many.