Shloka 18

अव्यक्त-गुण-पुरुषविवेकः | Avyakta, Guṇas, and Discrimination of Puruṣa

Devanagari script

मासोपवासी मूलाशी फलाहारस्तथैव च । वायुभक्षो<म्बुपिण्याकदधिगोमय भोजन:

Transliteration

māsopavāsī mūlāśī phalāhāras tathaiva ca | vāyubhakṣo 'mbupiṇyākadadhigomaya-bhojanaḥ ||

Translation

ବସିଷ୍ଠ କହିଲେ— କେହି ଗୋଟିଏ ମାସ ଧରି ନିରନ୍ତର ଉପବାସ କରେ; କେହି କନ୍ଦ-ମୂଳ ଖାଇ ଜୀବନ ଚାଲାଏ, ଆଉ କେହି କେବଳ ଫଳାହାରରେ ରହେ। କେହି ବାୟୁ-ଜଳରେ ମାତ୍ର ନିର୍ବାହ କରେ; ଆଉ କେହି ତିଳ-ଖଳି, ଦହି କିମ୍ବା ଗୋମୟ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଭୋଜନ କରେ— ତପସ୍ୟାର ଚରମ ସୀମା ଦେଖାଇ।

Word by Word

• मासोपवासी: one who fasts for a month
• मासोपवासी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मासोपवासी (मास + उपवासी)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मूलाशी: one who eats roots
• मूलाशी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूलाशी (मूल + आशी)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• फलाहारः: fruit-diet (one who subsists on fruits)
• फलाहारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फलाहार (फल + आहार)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वायुभक्षः: one who 'eats' air (lives on air)
• वायुभक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायुभक्ष (वायु + भक्ष)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अम्बु: water
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• दधि: curd; yogurt
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• गोमय: cow-dung
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमय (गो + मय)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भोजनः: one whose food is (i.e., eater; subsister)
• भोजनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the intensity and variety of ascetic disciplines (tapas) as a means of cultivating self-mastery and detachment—showing endurance, restraint in diet, and willingness to accept extreme simplicity for a higher ethical-spiritual aim.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is describing an ascetic’s regimen, listing different modes of subsistence—month-long fasting, living on roots or fruits, surviving on air and water, or taking very austere foods like sesame-cake, curd, or cow-dung—to illustrate the person’s rigorous practice.