Shloka 11
अत्रेः तपोबलप्रकाशः तथा च्यवनस्य सोमाधिकारः
Atri’s Illumination by Tapas; Cyavana and Soma-Entitlement
क्षेत्रप्रतिग्रहे चैव ग्रहसूतकयोस्तथा । त्रीणि रात्राण्युपोषित्वा तेन पापाद् विमुच्यते
kṣetrapratigrahe caiva grahasūtakayostathā | trīṇi rātrāṇyupoṣitvā tena pāpād vimucyate ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Si uno acepta como don una tierra—especialmente en tiempo de eclipse o durante un período de impureza ritual (sūtaka)—debe expiar ayunando tres noches; por esa observancia queda libre del pecado contraído.» La enseñanza muestra que el dharma atiende con cuidado al momento y a la pureza de las transacciones, prescribiendo una penitencia medida en vez de rechazar por completo los deberes sociales.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Accepting gifts (especially land) at ritually sensitive times like an eclipse or during sūtaka can generate fault; a specific, limited penance—fasting for three nights—purifies the receiver and removes the resulting demerit.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction, Bhīṣma is teaching norms of conduct and expiation. Here he gives a practical rule: if one has accepted a land-gift under eclipse-time or impurity conditions, one should perform a three-night fast as atonement.