Shloka 16

ययाति–अष्टक–प्रतर्दन संवादः | Yayāti’s Dialogue with Aṣṭaka and Pratardana on Merit, Gifts, and Ethical Restraint

Devanagari script

ततश्न वायुभक्षो5भूत्‌ संवत्सरमतन्द्रित: । तथा पज्चाग्निमध्ये च तपस्तेपे च वत्सरम्‌,तत्पश्चात्‌ वे आलस्यरहित हो एक वर्षतक केवल वायु पीकर रहे। फिर एक वर्षतक पाँच अग्नियोंके बीचमें बैठकर तपस्या की

Transliteration

tataś ca vāyu-bhakṣo 'bhūt saṃvatsaram atandritaḥ | tathā pañcāgni-madhye ca tapas tepe ca vatsaram ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana disse: Depois disso, livre de toda indolência, ele viveu um ano inteiro sustentando-se apenas do ar. Em seguida, por mais um ano, realizou austeridades severas sentado entre os cinco fogos—um ato de autocontrole disciplinado, empreendido para se purificar e fortalecer sua determinação.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

वायुभक्षःone who feeds on air (air-eater)

अभूत्became

संवत्सरम्for a year

अतन्द्रितःuntiring, vigilant

तथाlikewise, in the same way

पञ्चाग्निमध्येin the midst of the five fires

चand

तपःausterity, penance

तेपेperformed (austerity)

चand

वत्सरम्for a year

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas as disciplined endurance: overcoming laziness (atandrita) and voluntarily accepting hardship to purify the mind and strengthen commitment to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports a sequence of extreme ascetic practices: first, living for a year on air alone, and next, performing austerities for a year while seated amid the five fires—signaling intensified spiritual effort.