pratyutthānāsanārhaṇaiḥ

pratyutthānāsanārhaṇaiḥ

yayāce 'bhyavahārāya

pāda-mūlam upāgataḥ

After standing up to receive Durvāsā Muni, King Ambarīṣa offered him a seat and paraphernalia of worship. Then, sitting at his feet, the King requested the sage to eat.

|| 9.4.37 ||

pratinandya sa tāṁ yācñāṁ

kartum āvaśyakaṁ gataḥ

nimamajja bṛhad dhyāyan

kālindī-salile śubhe

Durvāsā Muni gladly accepted the request of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, but to perform daily rituals he went to the River Yamunā and while dipping into the water of the auspicious Yamunā, meditated upon the impersonal Brahman.

Bṛhat means Brahman.

|| 9.4.38 ||

muhūrtārdhāvaśiṣṭāyāṁ

dvādaśyāṁ pāraṇaṁ prati

cintayām āsa dharma-jño

dvijais tad-dharma-saṅkaṭe

In the meantime, only twenty-four minutes of the Dvādaśī tithi was left on which to break the fast. The knowledgeable King contemplated this critical situation with brāhmaṇas.

|| 9.4.39-40 ||

brāhmaṇātikrame doṣo

dvādaśyāṁ yad apāraṇe

yat kṛtvā sādhu me bhūyād

adharmo vā na māṁ spṛśet

ambhasā kevalenātha

kariṣye vrata-pāraṇam

āhur ab-bhakṣaṇaṁ viprā

hy aśitaṁ nāśitaṁ ca tat

The King said: "To transgress the laws of respectful behavior toward the brāhmaṇas is certainly a great offense. On the other hand, if one does not observe the breaking of the fast within the time of Dvādaśī, there is a flaw in one's observance of the vow. Therefore, I shall break the fast by drinking water so that I can have auspiciousness of the vow and also not be touched by irreligion. The brāhmaṇas say that drinking water is eating and not eating.”

Since it is a fault to insult the brāhmaṇa by eating and also a fault not to break the fast on Dvadaśī, you should tell me what can be done so that I obtain auspiciousness and do not break dharma. Seeing the brāhmaṇas silent, unable to resolve the issue, he considered the issue himself and made a decision. O brāhmaṇas! I will drink water. Thus on the Dvadaśī I will have eaten. Since water is not considered food, I will not have eaten, and thus will not have insulted the brāhmaṇa.  Śruti also says ap ‘śnāti tannaivāśitam naivānaśitam: taking water is both eating and not eating.

|| 9.4.41 ||