Shloka 10
अन्नदानफलं (Anna-dāna-phala) / The Fruit of Food-Giving
ज्येष्ठमासकी द्वादशी तिथिको दिन-रात उपवास करके जो भगवान् त्रिविक्रमकी पूजा करता है, वह गोमेधयज्ञका फल पाता और अप्सराओंके साथ आनन्द भोगता है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | āṣāḍhe māsi dvādaśyāṃ vāmaneti ca pūjayan | naramedham avāpnoti puṇyaṃ ca labhate mahat ||
Bhīṣma said: “Whoever, on the Dvādaśī in the month of Jyeṣṭha, fasts through day and night and worships Trivikrama gains the fruit of the Gomedha and delights in the company of the Apsarases. And whoever, on the Dvādaśī in the month of Āṣāḍha, worships the Lord under the name ‘Vāmana’, observing the fast as a vow, attains merit comparable to the Naramedha sacrifice and becomes a recipient of great spiritual merit.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that sincere devotion expressed through a disciplined observance—fasting on Āṣāḍha Dvādaśī and worshipping Viṣṇu as Vāmana—can yield immense merit, comparable (in traditional valuation) to major sacrificial rites, emphasizing accessible dharma through self-restraint and bhakti.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and religious observances, Bhishma enumerates the fruits of specific tithis and vratas. Here he states the reward for worshipping the Lord as Vāmana on Āṣāḍha Dvādaśī with fasting.