Adhyāya 112: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga’s Description of an Exemplary Brahmacārī
Ascetic Presence and Vow-Practice
मयोपयुक्तानि फलानि यानि नेमानि तुल्यानि रसेन तेषाम् । न चापि तेषां त्वगियं यथैषां साराणि नैषामिव सन्ति तेषाम्,मैंने उसके दिये हुए जिन फलोंका उपयोग किया है, उनके समान रस हमारे इन फलोंमें नहीं है। उन फलोंके छिलके भी ऐसे नहीं थे, जैसे इन जंगली फलोंके हैं। इन फलोंके गूदे जैसे हैं, वैसे उसके दिये हुए फलोंके नहीं थे (वे सर्वथा विलक्षण थे)
mayopayuktāni phalāni yāni nemāni tulyāni rasena teṣām | na cāpi teṣāṁ tvag iyaṁ yathaiṣāṁ sārāṇi naiṣām iva santi teṣām ||
Disse Ṛṣyaśṛṅga: “Os frutos de que outrora participei—os que ele me deu—não são igualados por estes no sabor. Nem a sua casca era como esta pele áspera dos frutos silvestres da floresta. E a polpa interior também não era como a destes; aqueles frutos eram, de fato, extraordinários.”
ऋष्यशुड्र उवाच
The verse highlights how refined sensory pleasures can appear uniquely alluring to someone raised in austerity, underscoring the ethical vulnerability of innocence when confronted with luxury and desire.
Ṛṣyaśṛṅga compares ordinary wild fruits with the exceptional fruits he previously received, emphasizing their superior taste, peel, and pulp—thereby conveying his amazement and the persuasive power of such offerings.