Mahabharata 1.187.12 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 187, Shloka 12
Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 187: Drupada’s Inquiry and the Dharma Debate on Draupadī’s Marriage
ब्राह्मणानामसाध्यं च नृषु संस्थानचारिषु । अब्भक्षा वायुभक्षाश्न फलाहारा दृढव्रता:
vaiśampāyana uvāca | brāhmaṇānām asādhyam ca nṛṣu saṃsthānacāriṣu | abbhakṣā vāyubhakṣāśn phalāhārā dṛḍhavratāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Dalam kalangan makhluk yang bergerak dalam rupa dan keadaan manusia, tiada suatu perbuatan pun yang mustahil bagi para brāhmaṇa. Ada yang hidup dengan air sahaja, ada seakan-akan dengan angin, dan ada yang dengan buah-buahan; teguh dalam ikrar, mereka menanggung tapa dan tetap berkuasa kerana sinar batin mereka. Maka janganlah memperkecil atau menghina seorang brāhmaṇa ketika dia menjalankan apa jua tugas, kerana kekuatan mereka lahir daripada mantra, yoga, dan penguasaan diri, bukan semata-mata daripada tenaga jasmani.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual discipline (tapas) and steadfast vows can generate extraordinary capability; hence brāhmaṇas, empowered by austerity and inner radiance, should not be treated with contempt or underestimated.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the exceptional capacities of brāhmaṇas—who may live on minimal sustenance like water, air, or fruit—emphasizing that their ascetic power makes them capable of accomplishing what seems impossible in human society.
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