Shloka 6

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 101: Bhogavatī-varṇana, Nāga-vaṃśa-kathana, and Sumukha-vivāha-prastāva

Devanagari script

फेनपा नाम ते ख्याता: फेनाहाराश्न मातले । उग्रे तपसि वर्तन्ते येषां बिभ्यति देवता:,मातले! फेनका आहार करनेके कारण वे महर्षिगण “फेनप” नामसे विख्यात हैं। वे बड़ी कठोर तपस्यामें संलग्न रहते हैं। उनसे देवतालोग भी डरते हैं

Transliteration

phenapā nāma te khyātāḥ phenāhārāśn māṭale | ugre tapasi vartante yeṣāṃ bibhyati devatāḥ ||

Translation

O Mātali, ang mga pantas na iyon ay tanyag sa pangalang Phenapā, sapagkat bula ang kanilang ikinabubuhay na pagkain. Namamalagi sila sa napakahigpit na tapas; at sa tindi ng kanilang disiplina, maging ang mga diyos ay napapamangha at nangingimi sa kanila.

Word by Word

फेनपाःthe Fenapas (foam-eaters; a class of sages)

नामby name / as (their) name

तेthey

ख्याताःare renowned / are known

फेनाहाराःhaving foam as food / foam-eating

अश्नन्तिthey eat

मातलेO Mātali

उग्रेin fierce (austerity)

तपसिin austerity

वर्तन्तेthey abide / they remain engaged

येषाम्of whom / whose

बिभ्यतिthey fear

देवताःthe deities

मातलेO Mātali

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Mātali

Phenapāḥ (foam-eating sages)

Devatāḥ (gods)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Extreme self-restraint and disciplined tapas are portrayed as generating profound spiritual potency—so formidable that even divine beings regard such ascetics with awe. The verse underscores the ethical ideal that inner mastery can surpass worldly status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada informs Mātali about a group of sages called the Phenapāḥ, explaining their distinctive austerity—living on foam—and emphasizing the severity of their practice and the reverence (even fear) it inspires among the gods.