Shloka 913
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
स लोकान् विपुलान् रम्यानादित्यानामुपाश्षुते । जो लगातार बारह महीनेतक पूरे बीस दिनपर एक बार भोजन करता
sa lokān vipulān ramyān ādityānām upāśnute |
Bhishma sprach: Ein solcher Mensch gelangt in die weiten und lieblichen Welten der Ādityas (der Sonnengottheiten). Wer zwölf Monate ununterbrochen nur einmal in zwanzig Tagen isst, die Wahrheit spricht, sein Gelübde hält, auf Fleisch verzichtet, Brahmacarya (Enthaltsamkeit) wahrt und dem Wohl aller Wesen zugetan bleibt, der erreicht die ausgedehnten und schönen Reiche des Sonnengottes.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that rigorous self-discipline—truthfulness, faithful observance of vows, abstention from meat, celibacy, and active commitment to the welfare of all beings—produces spiritual merit culminating in attainment of exalted solar realms (the worlds of the Adityas/Sun).
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and the fruits of various vows and austerities. Here he describes a specific long-term observance (restricted eating over a year, coupled with ethical restraints) and states its reward: reaching the vast, delightful worlds associated with the Adityas, especially Surya.