Shloka 99
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
रमते देवकन्याभिर्दिव्याभरण भूषित: । जो बारह महीनोंतक प्रतिदिन अग्निहोत्र करता हुआ बाईसवाँ दिन प्राप्त होनेपर एक बार भोजन करता है तथा अहिंसामें तत्पर, बुद्धिमान, सत्यवादी और दोषदृष्टिसे रहित होता है, वह सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी रूप धारण करके श्रेष्ठ विमानपर आरूढ़ हो वसुओंके लोकमें जाता है। वहाँ इच्छानुसार विचरता, अमृत पीकर रहता और दिव्य आभूषणोंसे विभूषित हो देवकन्याओंके साथ रमण करता है || ९६--९८ $ ।। त्रयोविंशे तु दिवसे प्राशेद् यस्त्वेकभोजनम्
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Bhishma said: “He who, on the twenty-third day, takes food only once—having long practiced disciplined observances such as daily Agnihotra, remaining devoted to non-violence, intelligent, truthful, and free from fault-finding—attains a radiant form like the Sun. Mounted upon an excellent celestial chariot, he goes to the world of the Vasus. There he roams as he wishes, lives by drinking ambrosia, and, adorned with divine ornaments, delights in the company of heavenly maidens.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sustained religious discipline (such as regulated eating and daily Agnihotra) must be paired with ethical virtues—especially non-violence, truthfulness, and freedom from fault-finding. When austerity and character align, the text portrays a high karmic fruit: radiant transformation and attainment of a divine realm.
Bhishma is describing the results of a specific observance: the practitioner eats only once on the prescribed day (here, the twenty-third), while maintaining Agnihotra and moral virtues. The narrative then depicts the promised outcome—ascending in a celestial vehicle to the realm of the Vasus, enjoying ambrosia and the company of heavenly maidens.