Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 43
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
अनश्नन्त्या: पचन्त्याश्न शृण्वन्त्याश्व॒ कथा: शुभा: | दिनोपम: स तस्याथ कालो5तीत: सुदारुण:
anaśnantyāḥ pacantyāś ca śṛṇvantyāś ca kathāḥ śubhāḥ | dinopamaḥ sa tasyātha kālo 'tītaḥ sudāruṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: Khi nàng nhịn ăn, vẫn nấu (những quả ấy) và lắng nghe các chuyện lành, thì quãng thời gian vô cùng khắc nghiệt ấy đối với nàng trôi qua như chỉ một ngày—cho đến khi cơn hạn hán kinh hoàng chấm dứt.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Steadfastness in hardship—sustained by śubha-kathā (uplifting, dharmic narratives) and self-restraint—can make even prolonged suffering feel bearable, as inner orientation transforms one’s experience of time and distress.
A woman endures a severe period (contextually a long drought) by fasting, preparing what little is available (berries), and listening to auspicious stories; through this disciplined, devotional focus, the dreadful time seems to pass like a single day until the calamity ends.