Shloka 8
उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit
Angiras Teaching
भीष्म उवाच इदं खलु मया राजन् श्रुतमासीत् पुरातनम् । उपवासविधीौ श्रेष्ठा गुणा ये भरतर्षभ
bhīṣma uvāca idaṃ khalu mayā rājan śrutam āsīt purātanam | upavāsavidhau śreṣṭhā guṇā ye bharatarṣabha ||
ভীষ্মে ক’লে—হে ৰাজন! এইটো মই পূৰ্বকালত শুনা এক প্ৰাচীন উপদেশ। হে ভৰতশ্ৰেষ্ঠ, উপবাস-বিধিৰ যি উৎকৃষ্ট গুণসমূহ আছে, সেয়া মই ক’ম।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames fasting (upavāsa) as a dharmic discipline with specific 'excellent virtues'—a traditional teaching meant to cultivate restraint, purity, and ethical steadiness rather than mere physical deprivation.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma addresses King Yudhishthira and introduces an ancient account he has heard, preparing to explain the proper method and merits of fasting as part of righteous conduct.