Shloka 5
अन्नदानफलं (Anna-dāna-phala) / The Fruit of Food-Giving
अहोरात्रेण द्वादश्यां माघमासे तु माधवम् । राजसूयमवाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
ahorātreṇa dvādaśyāṁ māghamāse tu mādhavam | rājasūyam avāpnoti kulaṁ caiva samuddharet ||
Bhīṣma said: By observing a full day-and-night fast on the Dvādaśī in the month of Māgha and worshipping Mādhava, a devotee attains merit equal to a Rājasūya sacrifice and also uplifts and redeems his entire lineage.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A disciplined observance—fasting for a full day and night on Māgha Dvādaśī and worshipping Mādhava—can confer extraordinary merit, comparable to the grand Rājasūya sacrifice, and its spiritual benefit is portrayed as extending to the devotee’s entire lineage.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma and religious duties, he recommends a specific sacred observance (Māgha Dvādaśī fast with worship of Mādhava) and states its fruits: attainment of Rājasūya-like merit and the uplift of one’s family line.