Shloka 30
Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya
कामेन युक्ता ऋषयस्तपस्येव समाहिता: । पलाशफलमूलादा वायुभक्षा: सुसंयता:
kāmena yuktā ṛṣayas tapasy eva samāhitāḥ | palāśa-phala-mūlāda vāyu-bhakṣāḥ su-saṃyatāḥ ||
欲望に促されて、聖仙たちは苦行に没入するかのように心を一つにし、深く専念した。パラーシャの葉や果実、根を食として生き、あるいは空気のみを糧とするほどであっても、彼らは堅く自制を保った。
भीमयेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox that even sages can be propelled by desire, yet outwardly display intense discipline and austerity. It invites ethical reflection on the difference between inner motive (kāma) and outer practice (tapas), emphasizing that true restraint concerns the mind as much as the body.
Bhīṣma describes (or is quoted describing) sages who, driven by desire, adopt severe ascetic modes of living—subsisting on leaves, fruits, roots, or even air—while maintaining strong self-control, illustrating the power of desire and the appearance of austerity.