Shloka 71
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
अष्टमो हाद्य कालोडयमाहारस्य कृतस्य मे । येनाहं कुरुशार्टूल शकनोमि न विचेष्टितुम्,पिछले दिनों जब मैंने भोजन किया था, तबसे आज यह आठवाँ समय--चौथा दिन पूरा हो गया है। कुरुश्रेष्ठ इसीसे शिथिल होकर मैं कोई चेष्टा नहीं कर पाता
aṣṭamo hādya kālo ’yam āhārasya kṛtasya me | yenāhaṃ kuruśārṭūla śaknomi na viceṣṭitum ||
Wahai harimau di antara kaum Kuru, hari ini genap masa ke-delapan sejak terakhir kali aku makan—berarti hari keempat telah berlalu sepenuhnya. Karena itu aku menjadi lemah dan tak mampu melakukan upaya apa pun.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the bodily limits that accompany austerity: prolonged fasting weakens the body and can make even basic action impossible. In the ethical setting of the Āśramavāsika narrative, it underscores how renunciant life involves hardship and restraint, yet also demands discernment about the body’s capacity.
The speaker reports that it has been four full days since he last ate (counted as eight ‘kāla’ intervals), and he addresses a Kuru noble as ‘kuruśārṭūla,’ explaining that hunger and weakness have left him unable to exert himself or move effectively.