Shloka 40
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
सदा द्वादशमासान् वै जुह्मानो जातवेदसम् | अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य फल प्राप्रोत्यनुत्तमम्
sadā dvādaśa-māsān vai juhvāno jātavedasam | aśvamedha-sahasrasya phalaṁ prāpnoty anuttamam ||
Bhishma dit : Celui qui, durant les douze mois, verse sans cesse des oblations dans le feu sacré (Agni, le connaisseur de toutes les naissances) obtient un mérite incomparable, égal à celui de mille sacrifices Aśvamedha. L’enseignement exalte le culte quotidien constant et la maîtrise de soi comme une voie dont la puissance éthique peut rivaliser avec les plus grands rites royaux.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Consistent daily sacrificial discipline—regular oblations to Agni sustained over a full year—can yield spiritual merit comparable to the most prestigious and costly royal sacrifices, emphasizing steadiness and self-restraint over spectacle.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he praises a year-long regimen of daily fire-offerings (homa) and declares its fruit to be equal to that of performing a thousand Aśvamedha rites, thereby guiding the listener toward accessible yet rigorous religious practice.