Shloka 16

अव्यक्त-गुण-पुरुषविवेकः | Avyakta, Guṇas, and Discrimination of Puruṣa

Devanagari script

एकरात्रान्तराशित्वमेककालिक भोजनम्‌ । चतुर्थाष्टमकालश्नल पषछ्ठकालिक एव च

Transliteration

ekarātrāntarāśitvam ekakālikabhojanam | caturthāṣṭamakālaśnala ṣaṣṭhakālika eva ca ||

Translation

Васиṣṭха сказал: «Он строго упорядочивает пищу: порою ест лишь после промежутка в одну ночь; порою принимает пищу только раз за целые сутки и ночь; а порою ест в установленные доли дня — в четвёртую, шестую или восьмую стражу».

Word by Word

• एक: one
• एक: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• रात्र: night
• रात्र: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्तर: interval, gap
• अन्तर: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आशित्वम्: the state/practice of eating
• आशित्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एक: one
• एक: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कालिक: occurring at a time (once-at-a-time)
• कालिक: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालिक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भोजनम्: meal, eating
• भोजनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• चतुर्थ: in the fourth (watch/period)
• चतुर्थ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अष्टम: in the eighth (watch/period)
• अष्टम: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• काल: time, watch/period
• काल: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अश्नन्: eating
• अश्नन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Present (Shatru participial usage), —, Singular

• षष्ठ: in the sixth (watch/period)
• षष्ठ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कालिक: timed/at a particular time
• कालिक: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas through disciplined eating: regulating when one eats (after an interval, once per day-night, or at specific watches) as a practical method for cultivating self-mastery and ethical steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is describing forms of ascetic dietary observance—different schedules of taking food—within a broader instruction on disciplined conduct and restraint.