Shloka 19

Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Austerities and Brahmā’s Boons

The Architecture of ‘Conditional Immortality’

Devanagari script

नैतत्पूर्वर्षयश्चक्रुर्न करिष्यन्ति चापरे । निरम्बुर्धारयेत्प्राणान् को वै दिव्यसमा: शतम् ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

naitat pūrvarṣayaś cakrur na kariṣyanti cāpare nirambur dhārayet prāṇān ko vai divya-samāḥ śatam

Translation

ຕະປະອັນຮຸນແຮງແບບນີ້ ບັນດາຣິສີໃນການກ່ອນກໍບໍ່ເຄີຍເຮັດ ແລະໃນອະນາຄົດກໍຈະບໍ່ມີໃຜເຮັດໄດ້. ໃນສາມໂລກນີ້ ໃຜຈະສາມາດຮັກສາຊີວິດໂດຍບໍ່ດື່ມນ້ຳຕະຫຼອດໜຶ່ງຮ້ອຍປີທິບ?

Synonyms

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• etat: this (thing)
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• pūrva-ṛṣayaḥ: the ancient sages
• pūrva-ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘former sages’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• cakruḥ: did
• cakruḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• na: nor / not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• kariṣyanti: will do
• kariṣyanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• apare: others (later ones)
• apare: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• nirambuḥ: without water
• nirambuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-ambu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (नञ्/निर्भाव: ‘without water’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied person)

• dhārayet: could sustain
• dhārayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सामान्य-कर्तरि (‘could/should sustain’)

• prāṇān: life-breaths
• prāṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• divya-samāḥ: divine years
• divya-samāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya + samā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘divine years’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (समाः = years)

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

Purport

It appears that even if a yogī does not drink a drop of water, he can live for many, many years by the yogic process, though his outer body be eaten by ants and moths.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about extreme austerities like living without water?

This verse states that sustaining life without water for a hundred celestial years is beyond what even ancient sages did, highlighting the extraordinary (and alarming) extremity of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s tapasya.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe Hiraṇyakaśipu’s austerity as unprecedented?

He emphasizes that neither past sages nor future persons would perform such an act, to show the exceptional intensity of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s determination in pursuit of power and boons.

Practical application: what is the Bhagavatam’s takeaway about discipline and spiritual practice?

Discipline is powerful, but the Bhagavatam implies it should be guided by devotion and dharma—otherwise even great austerity can be used for ego, control, or harm.