Shloka 17
समुन्नमग्रतो वस्त्र पश्चाच्छुध्यति कर्मणा । उपवासै: प्रतप्तानां दीर्घ सुखमनन्तकम्,जैसे पहलेसे क्षार आदिमें भिगोया हुआ कपड़ा पीछे धोनेसे साफ हो जाता है, उसी प्रकार जो उपवासपूर्वक तपस्या करते हैं, उन्हें कभी समाप्त न होनेवाला महान् सुख मिलता है
samunnam agrato vastraṁ paścāc chudhyati karmaṇā | upavāsaiḥ prataptānāṁ dīrghaṁ sukham anantakam ||
Bhishma said: “Just as a cloth first steeped in alkaline substances becomes clean afterwards through the act of washing, so too those who undergo austerity heated by fasting attain a great happiness—long-lasting and without end.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fasting undertaken as disciplined austerity (tapas) purifies the practitioner and yields enduring, even ‘endless,’ well-being; purification is presented as a process—preparation plus sustained effort—like washing a pre-treated cloth.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma continues advising by using a household analogy (cloth cleaned after being treated) to explain how ascetic practices—especially fasting—lead to inner purification and lasting happiness.