Shloka 45
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
चतुर्विधात्मकं सोम॑ ये पिबन्ति च सर्वदा । श्रुतेन ब्रह्मचर्येण तपसा च दमेन च
caturvidhātmakaṃ somaṃ ye pibanti ca sarvadā | śrutena brahmacaryeṇa tapasā ca damena ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Mereka yang sentiasa ‘meminum’ Soma dalam bentuk empat serangkai melakukannya melalui ilmu suci (śruti), melalui brahmacarya (pantang dan disiplin), melalui tapa (pertapaan), dan melalui dama (pengendalian diri).”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
True spiritual ‘nourishment’ (symbolized as Soma) is attained through a fourfold discipline: scriptural learning (śruta), celibate/regulated conduct (brahmacarya), austerity (tapas), and self-restraint (dama). The verse frames inner purification as an ethical practice rather than mere ritual consumption.
In the Sauptika Parva context, Sañjaya is reporting reflections that contrast destructive wartime acts with ideals of restraint and higher conduct. This verse introduces a moral-spiritual standard—self-mastery and disciplined living—set against the surrounding atmosphere of violence and retribution.