Shloka 22

Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma

Devanagari script

कणकुल्माषपिण्याकशाकयावकसक्तव: | तथा मूलफल भैक्ष्यं पर्यायेणोपयोजयेत्‌

Transliteration

kaṇakulmāṣapiṇyākaśākayāvakasa ktavaḥ | tathā mūlaphala-bhaikṣyaṁ paryāyeṇopayojayet ||

Translation

योग्याने भिक्षेत जे साधे अन्न मिळेल—धान्यकण, डाळी (उडीद इ.), तिळाची पेंड, भाजी, ज्वारी/बार्लीची लापशी, सत्तू तसेच मुळे व फळे—ते क्रमाने स्वीकारून त्यावरच जीवननिर्वाह करावा.

Word by Word

• कण: grain (a grain-corn)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुल्माष: boiled pulse/beans (e.g., horse-gram)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल्माष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पिण्याक: oil-cake (sesame/other press-cake)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्याक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शाक: vegetable/greens
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यावक: barley (or barley-gruel)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यावक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सक्तवः: parched grain flour; sattu
• Type: Noun
• Root: सक्तु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: and also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• मूल: root (edible root)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• फल: fruit
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भैक्ष्यम्: alms-food; what is obtained by begging
• भैक्ष्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पर्यायेण: in order; successively; by turns
• पर्यायेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्याय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उपयोजयेत्: should use; should employ (for sustenance)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-युज्
• Form: Vidhi-ling (Optative), Present-system, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• yogin
• alms-food (bhaikṣya)
• grains/pulses
• oil-cake (piṇyāka)
• greens (śāka)
• barley (yāvaka)
• parched flour (saktu)
• roots (mūla)
• fruits (phala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A yogin should live with disciplined simplicity, taking whatever food is obtained by alms without preference, and using different simple items in rotation—cultivating contentment, non-craving, and steadiness of practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and the ascetic/yogic path, Bhishma advises the listener on practical conduct for a yogin—specifically, how to maintain the body through modest alms-food while avoiding indulgence and attachment.