Shloka 99
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
वालखिल्यास्तप:सिद्धा मुनयः सूर्यमण्डले । उज्छे तिष्ठन्ति धर्मज्ञा: शाकुनीं वृत्तिमास्थिता:
vālakhilyās tapaḥsiddhā munayaḥ sūryamaṇḍale | ucche tiṣṭhanti dharmajñāḥ śākunīṁ vṛttim āsthitāḥ ||
Maheshvara disse: “Os sábios Vālakhilya, aperfeiçoados pela austeridade, habitam no orbe do Sol. Conhecedores do dharma, vivem pelo modo de subsistência do ‘respigar’—como aves—sustentando-se ao recolher grãos dispersos, tomando apenas o que se encontra e sem causar dano a ninguém.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises an austere, non-exploitative livelihood: the dharma-knowing sages sustain themselves by ‘gleaning’ like birds—taking only what is freely available, minimizing harm, desire, and dependence.
Maheśvara describes the Vālakhilya sages as tapas-perfected beings who reside in the Sun’s sphere and maintain themselves through uccha-vṛtti (gleaning), emphasizing their disciplined, dharmic way of life.