Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 182
सहधर्म-प्रश्नः तथा अष्टावक्रोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावः
Inquiry on Sahadharma and the Opening of the Aṣṭāvakra Narrative
य: पठेत शुचि: पार्थ ब्रह्मचारी जितेन्द्रिय: । अभग्नयोगो वर्ष तु सो5श्वमेधफलं लभेत्
yaḥ paṭheta śuciḥ pārtha brahmacārī jitendriyaḥ | abhagnayogo varṣaṃ tu so ’śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet ||
Vāyu-deva said: “O Pārtha, whoever—being pure in conduct, observing brahmacarya, and having mastered the senses—recites this hymn while remaining steadily engaged in yoga for a full year, attains the merit equivalent to that of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sustained purity, celibate discipline, and mastery of the senses—combined with uninterrupted yogic steadiness and faithful recitation—can yield spiritual merit equal to that of the most prestigious Vedic royal sacrifice, emphasizing inner discipline over mere external grandeur.
Vāyu-deva is describing the fruit of reciting a particular hymn: if a practitioner remains pure, observes brahmacarya, controls the senses, and maintains unbroken yogic practice for a year while reciting it, he gains the merit of an Aśvamedha.