Shloka 69
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
यत्तु पक्षे गते भुडक्ते एकभक्तं जितेन्द्रिय: । सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु जुह्दानो जातवेदसम्
yat tu pakṣe gate bhuñkte ekabhaktaṁ jitendriyaḥ | sadā dvādaśa-māsāṁs tu juhvāno jātavedasam ||
Dijo Bhishma: Pero el hombre dueño de sí que, una vez transcurrida la quincena, come sólo una vez en el día señalado, y que durante doce meses ofrece sin cesar oblaciones al fuego sagrado (Agni), alcanza el mérito supremo—igual al de mil sacrificios Rājasūya—y es llevado en un carro aéreo divino, atendido por cisnes y pavos reales.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Disciplined restraint (jitendriyatā) combined with steady sacred duty (daily fire-offering) is presented as a powerful form of dharma, yielding merit comparable to grand royal sacrifices—showing that inner discipline and consistent practice can rival costly public rites.
Bhīṣma is describing a specific observance: eating only once at the end of each fortnight while maintaining daily offerings to Agni for a full year. He then states the exalted reward—equivalent to a thousand Rājasūyas and ascent in a divine vimāna attended by swans and peacocks.