Shloka 556

मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity

Devanagari script

सदा द्वादशमासान्‌ वै सर्वमेधफलं लभेत्‌ | जो बारह महीनोंतक प्रति बारहवें दिन केवल हविष्यान्न ग्रहण करता है, उसे सर्वमेध यज्ञका फल मिलता है

Transliteration

sadā dvādaśa-māsān vai sarva-medha-phalaṁ labhet |

Translation

Bhishma said: One who, for a full twelve months, regularly observes the discipline of taking only havishyānna on every twelfth day attains the merit equivalent to the Sarvamedha sacrifice. The teaching highlights how sustained self-restraint and disciplined observance can yield results praised as equal to grand ritual acts, emphasizing ethical effort over mere external grandeur.

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Gender: (agrees with मासान्) Masculine; Case: Accusative; Number: Plural

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Gender: Masculine; Case: Accusative; Number: Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सर्वमेधफलम्: the fruit/result of the Sarvamedha (sacrifice)
• सर्वमेधफलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वमेध-फल
• Form: Gender: Neuter; Case: Accusative; Number: Singular

• लभेत्: would obtain / may obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Tense/Mood: Optative (Vidhi-lin); Person: 3rd; Number: Singular; Voice: Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Sarvamedha (sacrifice)
• havishyānna (ritual food)