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,जिसको त्यागना बहुत कठिन है, उस अर्थके बिना भी मनुष्य बहुत दिनोंतक जीवित रह सकता है, परंतु भोजन छोड़ देनेपर कोई भी अधिक समयतक जीवन धारण नहीं कर सकता
śakyate dustyaje 'py arthe cirarātrāya jīvitum | na tu bhojanam utsṛjya śakyaṁ vartayituṁ ciram ||
Mesmo sem riqueza—por mais difícil que seja renunciar a ela—uma pessoa ainda pode viver por muito tempo. Mas, se abandonar o alimento, ninguém consegue sustentar a vida por longos dias.
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.