Shloka 24
अर्जुनस्य इन्द्रकीलगमनम् तथा शक्रसाक्षात्कारः
Arjuna’s journey to Indrakīla and encounter with Indra
पूर्णे पूर्णे त्रिरात्रे तु मासमेक॑ं फलाशन: । द्विगुणेन हि कालेन द्वितीयं मासमत्ययात्,एक मासतक वे तीन-तीन रातके बाद केवल फलाहार करके रहे। दूसरे मासको उन्होंने पहलेकी अपेक्षा दूने-दूने समयपर अर्थात् छः-छ: रातके बाद फलाहार करके व्यतीत किया
pūrṇe pūrṇe trirātre tu māsam ekaṃ phalāśanaḥ | dviguṇena hi kālena dvitīyaṃ māsam atyayāt ||
एक महिना तो तो तीन-तीन रात्री पूर्ण झाल्यावरच तो केवळ फळाहार करी. मग काळ दुप्पट करून दुसरा महिना सहा-सहा रात्रीनंतरच फळ ग्रहण करून व्यतीत केला।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tapas through measured self-restraint: discipline is strengthened by gradually increasing difficulty (longer intervals between meals), showing ethical control over desire rather than sudden, reckless extremity.
A practitioner is described observing a fruit-only regimen: first eating after every three nights for a month, then intensifying the austerity in the second month by eating only after every six nights.