Shloka 13
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
द्वितीये दिवसे यस्तु प्राश्नीयादेकभोजनम् | सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु जुह्मानो जातवेदसम्
dvitīye divase yas tu prāśnīyād ekabhojanam | sadā dvādaśamāsāṁs tu juhmāno jātavedasam |
Bhīṣma dit : « Celui qui, le deuxième jour, ne prend nourriture qu’une seule fois, et qui, durant douze mois, verse sans relâche des oblations dans le feu sacré (Agni Jātavedas), une telle retenue disciplinée et un tel culte constant sont loués comme une observance du dharma. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse commends disciplined restraint (eating only once on the specified day) combined with sustained ritual devotion (regular homa to Agni for a year), presenting self-control and steady worship as a dharmic path of purification and merit.
Bhīṣma continues instructing on vows and religious observances, describing a specific regimen: on the second day one should eat only once, and one should maintain offerings to Agni (Jātavedas) for twelve months as part of a sustained vrata.