Shloka 110
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु नियतो नियताशन: । जितेन्द्रियो वीतरागो जुह्मानो जातवेदसम्
sadā dvādaśa-māsāṁs tu niyato niyatāśanaḥ | jitendriyo vītarāgo juhmāno jātavedasam ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Quien, durante doce meses enteros, vive bajo disciplina—mesurado en el alimento, dueño de sí y libre de apego—ofreciendo cada día oblaciones al fuego sagrado (Agni), alcanza mundos excelsos. Honrado por las Apsaras, ese virtuoso va a los reinos de las huestes de los Maruts y de los ocho Vasus. La enseñanza ensalza la continencia sostenida, la vida regulada y el fiel deber sacrificial como senda hacia una recompensa espiritual más alta.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sustained discipline—regulated diet, mastery of the senses, freedom from attachment, and daily fire-offerings—constitutes a powerful dharmic practice that yields elevated spiritual results. The verse links inner restraint (jitendriya, vītarāga) with outer ritual fidelity (homa to Agni).
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and the fruits of vows and austerities. Here he describes the merit of a year-long regulated observance with daily offerings to Agni, stating that such a practitioner is honoured by celestial beings and attains the worlds associated with the Maruts and the eight Vasus.