Mahabharata 7.203.59 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 203, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

षष्टिं वर्षमहस्राणि तावन्त्येव शतानि च । अशोषयत्‌ तदा55त्मानं वायुभक्षोअम्बुजेक्षण:

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-sahasrāṇi tāvanty eva śatāni ca | aśoṣayat tadātmānaṁ vāyu-bhakṣo 'mbujekṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

โอ้ผู้มีเนตรดุจดอกบัว เขาได้ทำให้กายของตนแห้งผาก ด้วยการดำรงชีพด้วยลมเพียงอย่างเดียว ตลอดหกหมื่นปี—และยังเพิ่มอีกเท่ากันเป็นร้อยปีทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• षष्टिम्: sixty
• षष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वर्ष: years
• वर्ष: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• तावन्ति: so many, as many
• तावन्ति: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• अशोषयत्: caused to dry up, dried up
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Yes (ṇic)

• तदा: then, at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• आत्मानम्: himself, his body/self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वायुभक्षः: one whose food is air (air-fed)
• वायुभक्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायुभक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अम्बुजेक्षणः: lotus-eyed
• अम्बुजेक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बुजेक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• ambujekṣaṇa (lotus-eyed addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas (austerity) as an ethical practice of radical self-discipline—restraining bodily appetites and enduring hardship to cultivate inner mastery and spiritual power, rather than indulging desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes a figure undertaking an extraordinary penance for an immense span of time, sustaining himself only on air and thereby emaciating his body; the statement functions as a narrative marker of the severity and sincerity of the ascetic effort.