Shloka 5
Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share
शरीर योक्तुमिच्छामि तपसोग्रेण भारत । उपदिष्टमिहेच्छामि तत्त्वतो5हं विशाम्पते
śarīraṃ yoktum icchāmi tapasogreṇa bhārata | upadiṣṭam ihēcchāmi tattvato 'haṃ viśāṃpate ||
یُدھِشٹھِر نے کہا— اے بھارت! میں سخت تپسیا کے ذریعے اپنے جسم کو قابو میں لانا چاہتا ہوں۔ اے رعایا کے آقا! اس باب میں حقیقت کے مطابق درست تعلیم میں آپ ہی سے یہاں چاہتا ہوں۔
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames austerity (tapas) as a disciplined yoking of the body, but insists that such practice must be guided by correct understanding (tattvataḥ). It highlights that ethical self-restraint is not mere self-torture; it requires principled instruction so that tapas supports dharma rather than ego, excess, or harm.
Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking a dharmic path after the great war, expresses a desire to undertake severe austerities to restrain his body. He respectfully addresses his elder/teacher figure as “Bhārata” and “lord of the people,” requesting a truthful, well-grounded teaching on how such austerity should be undertaken.