Shloka 14
The Episode of Vena: Pṛthu’s Counsel, Royal Proclamation, and Brahmā’s Boon
सर्वान्दोषान्परित्यज्य संयम्य विषयेन्द्रियान् । शतवर्षप्रमाणं वै निराहारो बभूव ह
sarvāndoṣānparityajya saṃyamya viṣayendriyān | śatavarṣapramāṇaṃ vai nirāhāro babhūva ha
அனைத்து குற்றங்களையும் விட்டு, பொருள்களைக் நோக்கி ஓடும் இந்திரியங்களை அடக்கி, அவன் நூறு ஆண்டுகள் முழுவதும் உணவின்றி இருந்தான்.
Unspecified narrator (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Sense-restraint and fault-abandonment (doṣa-parityāga) empower tapas; sustained discipline becomes a vehicle for purification and divine response.
Application: Practice daily restraint: reduce impulsive consumption, keep a simple diet/fasting window, and pair it with ethical self-audit (dropping ‘faults’ like harsh speech, greed, deceit).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solitary royal ascetic sits in unwavering padmāsana on a riverbank, eyes half-closed, senses drawn inward as if the world’s temptations dissolve into mist. Seasons whirl around him—monsoon rain, autumn clarity, winter hush—yet his body remains still, a hundred-year vow visualized as a halo of time-circles behind him.","primary_figures":["Pṛthu (as ascetic king)","personified Time (subtle motif)"],"setting":"Quiet forest-edge riverbank with a small kusa-grass seat, distant hermitage silhouettes, deer and peacocks watching in reverent stillness.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","deep indigo","river jade","ash gray","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pṛthu as a regal ascetic seated on a kusa mat by a stylized river, gold-leaf aura forming concentric rings to signify a hundred years, rich maroon and emerald borders, gem-studded minimal ornaments (renounced yet royal), delicate lotuses at the water’s edge, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene ascetic-king in a Himalayan-like grove, delicate brushwork showing shifting seasons in the background, cool blues and greens, refined facial features with inward gaze, lyrical river curves and tiny birds, soft atmospheric perspective.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of the meditating king, simplified forest and river motifs, natural pigment palette with warm reds/yellows/greens, large expressive eyes half-closed, a stylized time-halo behind the head, temple-wall aesthetic austerity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central meditating figure framed by lotus and vine borders, time-cycles shown as circular floral mandalas, peacocks and cows at the periphery as auspicious witnesses, deep blue ground with gold highlights, intricate textile-like detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["silence","flowing water","distant birds","soft temple bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वान्दोषान्परित्यज्य = सर्वान् दोषान् परित्यज्य; विषयेन्द्रियान् = विषय-इन्द्रियान् (समास); शतवर्षप्रमाणं = शतवर्षप्रमाणम् (म् before v); निराहारो = निराहारः (visarga before b).
FAQs
It emphasizes tapas (austerity), especially sense-restraint (indriya-nigraha) and renunciation of moral and mental faults as prerequisites for sustained spiritual practice.
In Purāṇic usage, nirāhāra generally indicates fasting/abstaining from food; the precise degree (total or near-total) depends on the surrounding narrative and the type of vrata or tapas being described.
The verse implies that external austerity gains legitimacy and power when paired with inner purification—giving up faults and disciplining the senses rather than relying on hardship alone.