Shloka 123
महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self
कृष्णपक्षे पिबन्त्यन्ये भुउ्जते वा यथागतम् । कोई दाँतोंसे ही ओखलीका काम लेते हैं
kṛṣṇapakṣe pibantyanye bhuñjate vā yathāgatam |
毗耶娑说：有人在黑半月（kṛṣṇa-pakṣa）期间仅以饮用维生；也有人随缘而食，得什么便吃什么。此段描绘了严峻的持身之法——不执不求，甘受微薄或偶得之食——以彰显克制、忍耐与知足作为伦理修持。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse commends disciplined simplicity: sustaining oneself with minimal intake and accepting whatever is obtained without craving, complaint, or selectiveness—an ethical training in self-mastery and contentment.
Vyāsa is describing different ascetic lifestyles and food practices, emphasizing how some live on drink alone at certain times and others eat only what comes unasked, illustrating rigorous restraint within the broader discourse on dharma in Śānti Parva.