Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अब्भक्षा वायुभक्षाश्न सुधाभक्षाश्न ये सदा । व्रतैश्न विविधैर्युक्तास्तान्‌ू नमस्यामि माधव,माधव! जो नाना प्रकारके व्रतोंका पालन करते हुए केवल पानी या हवा पीकर ही रह जाते हैं तथा जो सदा यज्ञशेष अन्नका ही भोजन करते हैं उनके चरणोंमें मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ

Transliteration

abbhakṣā vāyubhakṣāś ca sudhābhakṣāś ca ye sadā | vrataiś ca vividhair yuktās tān namasyāmi mādhava ||

Translation

โอ้มาธวะ ข้าขอนอบน้อมแทบเท้าบรรดาตบะผู้มั่นคงในวัตรนานาประการ ผู้ดำรงชีพด้วยน้ำเท่านั้นหรือด้วยลมเท่านั้น และผู้ซึ่งบริโภคแต่ข้าวอาหารที่เหลือจากยัญพิธี (ยัญญเศษ) อยู่เสมอ

Word by Word

अब्भक्षाःthose whose food is water (water-eaters)

वायुभक्षाःthose whose food is air (living on air)

सुधाभक्षाःthose who eat only sudhā/nectar (i.e., very pure/offerings-remnant food)

येwho

सदाalways

व्रतैःwith vows/observances

विविधैःvarious, diverse

युक्ताःendowed/engaged (in)

तान्them

नमस्यामिI bow to / I salute

माधवO Mādhava (Krishna)

माधवO Mādhava!

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse honors rigorous self-discipline: those who keep diverse vows and live with extreme restraint—subsisting on minimal sustenance or only sanctified remnants—are worthy of reverence, because their conduct exemplifies purity, control of desire, and commitment to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa), offering homage to exemplary vow-keepers and ascetics. The statement functions as praise of tapas and sacred observance within the Anuśāsana Parva’s broader instruction on righteous conduct.