Shloka 12
Mohinī-prashna
The Question about Mohinī
जीवितस्यापि दानेन न मे किंचित्प्रयोदजनम् । न च वेदेषु दृष्टोऽयमुपवासो हरेर्दिने ॥ १२ ॥
jīvitasyāpi dānena na me kiṃcitprayodajanam | na ca vedeṣu dṛṣṭo'yamupavāso harerdine || 12 ||
Selbst wenn man das eigene Leben hingäbe, habe ich keinen Zweck zu erfüllen. Auch ist dieses Fasten am Tage Haris in den Veden nicht als Gebot zu finden.
Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada, Uttara-Bhaga teaching context)
Vrata: Hari-dina upavāsa (generic; not a named vrata here)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
The verse highlights a debate about scriptural authority: the speaker questions the usefulness of extreme acts (even self-sacrifice) and challenges whether fasting on Hari’s day is explicitly Vedic, setting up a clarification of proper vrata-dharma and devotion.
It implies that devotion is not validated merely by dramatic austerity; rather, authentic bhakti must be aligned with true dharma and sound scriptural grounding—prompting the tradition to explain why Hari-related vratas are upheld in Purana-based practice.
It underscores the principle of śāstra-pramāṇa (scriptural proof) used in ritual decision-making—i.e., checking whether a practice is ‘seen in the Vedas’ before accepting it as obligatory.