Shloka 30
Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya
कामेन युक्ता ऋषयस्तपस्येव समाहिता: । पलाशफलमूलादा वायुभक्षा: सुसंयता:
kāmena yuktā ṛṣayas tapasy eva samāhitāḥ | palāśa-phala-mūlāda vāyu-bhakṣāḥ su-saṃyatāḥ ||
诸仙因欲望所驱，便如同修苦行一般专注入定。或以帕拉沙树叶、果实与根茎为食，或甚至仅以气息为粮，他们仍严守自制。
भीमयेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox that even sages can be propelled by desire, yet outwardly display intense discipline and austerity. It invites ethical reflection on the difference between inner motive (kāma) and outer practice (tapas), emphasizing that true restraint concerns the mind as much as the body.
Bhīṣma describes (or is quoted describing) sages who, driven by desire, adopt severe ascetic modes of living—subsisting on leaves, fruits, roots, or even air—while maintaining strong self-control, illustrating the power of desire and the appearance of austerity.