Shloka 8
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
शक््यते दुस्त्यजे<प्यर्थे चिररात्राय जीवितुम् । न तु भोजनमुत्सृज्य शक्यं वर्तयितुं चिरम्
śakyate dustyaje 'py arthe cirarātrāya jīvitum | na tu bhojanam utsṛjya śakyaṁ vartayituṁ ciram ||
ଯାହାକୁ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରିବା ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ କଠିନ, ସେଇ ଧନ ନଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ମଣିଷ ବହୁଦିନ ବଞ୍ଚିପାରେ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଭୋଜନ ଛାଡ଼ିଦେଲେ କେହି ମଧ୍ୟ ଦୀର୍ଘକାଳ ଜୀବନ ଧାରଣ କରିପାରେ ନାହିଁ।
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a pragmatic ethical insight: wealth (artha) may be difficult to relinquish, yet life can continue without it; food, however, is essential for sustaining life, so decisions about duty and conduct must recognize basic bodily necessity.
In the Vana Parva’s instructional storytelling context, the hawk (śyena) speaks to make a pointed argument about necessity: renouncing possessions is one thing, but renouncing food is incompatible with long survival—framing the discussion around realistic constraints on moral choices.