Shloka 11

असंतोषादिदोष-निरूपणम्

On the Faults of Discontent and the Discipline of Detachment

Devanagari script

पत्राहारैरश्मकुट्टैदन्तोलूखलिकैस्तथा । अब्भक्षेवायुभक्षैश्न तैरयं नरको जित:,जो लोग पत्ते खाकर रहते हैं, जो पत्थरपर पीसकर अथवा दाँतोंसे ही चचाकर भोजन करनेवाले हैं (अर्थात्‌ जो चक्‍्कीका पीसा और ओखलीका कूटा नहीं खाते हैं) तथा जो पानी या हवा पीकर रह जाते हैं, उन तपस्वी पुरुषोंने ही नरकपर विजय पायी है

Transliteration

patrāhārair aśmakuṭṭair dantolūkhalikais tathā | abbhakṣair vāyubhakṣaiś ca tair ayaṃ narako jitaḥ ||

Translation

ಎಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಆಹಾರವಾಗಿ ಬದುಕುವವರು, ಕಲ್ಲಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ಅರೆದು ತಿನ್ನುವವರು, ಅಥವಾ ಚಕ್ಕಿ-ಅರಿತ/ಒಕ್ಕಲಿ-ಕುಟ್ಟಿದ ಆಹಾರವನ್ನು ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸದೆ ಕೇವಲ ಹಲ್ಲಿನಿಂದಲೇ ಚವಚವಿಸಿ ತಿನ್ನುವವರು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನೀರಿನಿಂದ ಮಾತ್ರ—ಅಥವಾ ಗಾಳಿಯಿಂದ ಮಾತ್ರ—ಬದುಕುವ ಆ ತಪಸ್ವಿಗಳೇ ಈ ‘ನರಕ’ವನ್ನು ಜಯಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ।

Word by Word

पत्राहारैःby leaf-diet (living on leaves)

अश्मकुट्टैःby stone-pounded (food/means)

दन्तोलूखलिकैःby (using) teeth and mortar (i.e., not using mill/hand-mill)

तथाand likewise

अप्-भक्षैःby water-eaters (living on water)

वायु-भक्षैःby air-eaters (living on air)

नindeed / (emphatic particle; or 'not' depending on context)

तैःby them

अयम्this

नरकःhell

जितःconquered

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

naraka (hell)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rigorous self-restraint (tapas) is portrayed as a force that overcomes ‘naraka’—whether understood as literal hell or as the hellish consequences of sin and uncontrolled desire—emphasizing ethical purification through disciplined living.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse setting, Yudhiṣṭhira cites extreme ascetic practices (leaf-diet, stone-ground fare, chewing without processed food, living on water or air) to illustrate how powerful austerity is considered in conquering suffering and moral downfall.