Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अनुभुक्तफलाहारा: सर्व एव मिताशना: । न्यवसन्‌ पाण्डवास्तत्र कृष्णया सह भार्यया,वहाँ सब पाण्डव अपनी पत्नी द्रौपदीके साथ केवल फलाहार करके परिमित भोजनपर जीवन-निर्वाह करते हुए रहते थे

Transliteration

anubhuktaphalāhārāḥ sarva eva mitāśanāḥ | nyavasan pāṇḍavās tatra kṛṣṇayā saha bhāryayā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: There the Pāṇḍavas lived together with their wife Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), sustaining themselves on fruits already obtained and eating only in measured quantity—enduring hardship with restraint and discipline during their forest life.

Word by Word

अनुभुक्तफलाहाराःhaving food consisting of eaten/obtained fruits (living on fruits)

सर्वेall

एवindeed/only

मिताशनाःmoderate in eating

न्यवसन्they dwelt/lived

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

तत्रthere

कृष्णयाwith Krishna (Draupadi)

सहtogether with

भार्ययाwith (their) wife

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic discipline in adversity: the Pāṇḍavas practice moderation (mitāśana) and simple living, showing that ethical steadiness and self-control are central virtues during hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

During their forest exile, the Pāṇḍavas are described as residing in a particular place with Draupadī, living on fruits and keeping their food intake limited, emphasizing their austere mode of life.