न भोक्ष्ये न च पानीयमुपभोक्ष्ये कथठ्चन
na bhokṣye na ca pānīyam upabhokṣye kathaṃcana
मी अन्न खाणार नाही, पाणीही पिणार नाही; कोणत्याही प्रकारे अन्न-जलाचा उपभोग घेणार नाही.
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse highlights self-restraint as an ethical response to inner turmoil: when conscience is burdened, one may adopt austerity and refusal of comforts to reaffirm dharma, discipline desire, and signal seriousness about moral accountability.
In Śānti Parva’s post-war setting, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a firm resolve to abstain from food and drink, reflecting his intense grief and moral conflict after the devastation of the war and his struggle to reconcile kingship with righteousness.