Shloka 7
सूक्ष्मभूत-भूतात्मविज्ञानम्
Knowing the subtle principle and the bhūtātman through yoga
कपाल वृक्षमूलानि कुचैलमसहायता । उपेक्षा सर्वभूतानामेतावद् भिक्षुलक्षणम्
vyāsa uvāca | kapāla-vṛkṣa-mūlāni kucailam asahāyatā | upekṣā sarva-bhūtānām etāvad bhikṣu-lakṣaṇam | bhikṣā-pātraṃ eva ca kamaṇḍaluṃ rakhet | vṛkṣa-mūle śayīta vā nivāsaṃ kuryāt | yaḥ darśane na sundaraṃ vastraṃ dhārayet | na kaṃcid saha rakhet sarva-bhūteṣu ca upekṣāṃ kuryāt | etāni sannyāsinaḥ lakṣaṇāni ||
Tanda-tanda seorang pengemis suci adalah ini: ia hanya menyimpan mangkuk sedekah dan kamandalu; ia tidur atau tinggal di pangkal pohon; ia mengenakan pakaian kasar yang tidak mengundang kekaguman; ia hidup tanpa pendamping; dan ia memelihara sikap lepas—tanpa keterikatan maupun kebencian—terhadap semua makhluk. Inilah ciri-ciri seorang sannyāsin.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines renunciation as radical simplicity and inner non-attachment: minimal possessions (bowl and water-pot), austere living (tree-root as shelter), avoidance of display (unattractive clothing), solitude, and equanimity toward all beings—freedom from dependence, favoritism, and hostility.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Vyāsa is describing the observable disciplines and lifestyle that characterize a true mendicant/renunciant, emphasizing external austerity as a support for inner detachment.