Shloka 87

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

Devanagari script

एकोनविंशतिदिने यो भुड्क्ते एकभोजनम्‌

Transliteration

ekonaviṁśatidine yo bhuṅkte ekabhojanam

Translation

Bhishma said: “One who, on the nineteenth day, eats only a single meal…”

Word by Word

• एकोनविंशतिदिने: on the nineteenth day
• एकोनविंशतिदिने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकोनविंशति-दिन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• एकभोजनम्: a single meal (once-eating)
• एकभोजनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-भोजन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse points to dharmic self-restraint: limiting oneself to a single meal on a specified day as part of a vrata, emphasizing discipline over indulgence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira in Anushasana Parva on religious-ethical observances (vratas). This line introduces a rule for an observance tied to the nineteenth day, with the fuller result or merit typically stated in the surrounding verses.