Shloka 19

उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit

Angiras Teaching

Devanagari script

उपोष्य व्याधिरहितो वीर्यवानभिजायते । कृषिभागी बहुधनो बहुधान्यश्व॒ जायते

Transliteration

upoṣya vyādhir-ahito vīryavān abhijāyate | kṛṣibhāgī bahudhanaḥ bahudhānyāśvaḥ jāyate ||

Translation

Aṅgiras said: By observing a fast (upavāsa), a person is reborn free from disease and endowed with strength. He gains the means and share of agriculture, and is born possessing abundant wealth, plentiful grain, and horses—thus becoming furnished with auspicious supports for well-being.

Word by Word

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपवस् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• व्याधि-रहितः: free from disease
• व्याधि-रहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रहित (प्रातिपदिक) / व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वीर्यवान्: vigorous, possessing strength
• वीर्यवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभिजायते: is born (again), comes into being
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, Third, Singular, Present (indicative)

• कृषि-भागी: having a share in agriculture; possessing farming means
• कृषि-भागी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भागिन् (प्रातिपदिक) / कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बहु-धनः: very wealthy
• बहु-धनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) / बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बहु-धान्यः: having much grain; rich in crops
• बहु-धान्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक) / बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अश्वः: a horse
• अश्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जायते: is born, arises
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, Third, Singular, Present (indicative)

Speaker

अंगियरा उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṅgiras (अङ्गिरस्)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that disciplined fasting (upavāsa) is a dharmic practice whose karmic fruit is well-being in a future birth—freedom from illness, bodily vigor, and material prosperity such as agricultural means, wealth, grain, and horses.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and observances, the sage Aṅgiras states the specific fruits (phala) of fasting: the practitioner is reborn healthy and strong and gains prosperity and resources.