Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 56
व्याधिप्रशमन श्रेष्ठ पौष्टिक सर्वकर्मणाम् । प्रयत: कीर्तयेच्चैतान् कल्यं सायं च भारत
vyādhi-praśamana-śreṣṭhaṁ pauṣṭikaṁ sarva-karmaṇām | prayataḥ kīrtayec caitān kalyaṁ sāyaṁ ca bhārata ||
Bhishma said: “This practice of remembrance is the foremost means for pacifying disease, and it nourishes and strengthens all one’s actions. Therefore, O Bharata, with a disciplined and purified mind one should recite these names morning and evening—remembering the divine beings, the seers, and the kings who rule upon the earth. Such repeated kīrtana is auspicious and supremely purifying for all creatures; by doing it again and again, ailments are destroyed and one gains excellence and wholesome support in every duty.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that disciplined, regular remembrance/recitation (kīrtana)—especially done morning and evening with a purified mind—brings auspiciousness, purifies the practitioner, supports the successful performance of duties, and is even described as a foremost means for alleviating disease.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he recommends a daily regimen of reciting and honoring revered beings (deities, seers, and exemplary rulers), presenting it as both spiritually purifying and practically beneficial for one’s life and responsibilities.