Shloka 46
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
जो एक वर्षतक दस-दस दिन बीतनेपर एक बार भोजन करता है और बारहों महीने प्रतिदिन अग्निमें आहुति देता है, वह सम्पूर्ण भूतोंके लिये मनोहर ब्रह्मकन्याओंके निवास- स्थानमें जाकर एक हजार अभश्व-मेध यज्ञोंका परम उत्तम फल पाता है और उस सनातन पुरुषका वहाँकी रूपवती कन्याएँ मनोरंजन करती हैं ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | yo eka-varṣa-tak daśa-daśa-dina-bīte paraṃ ekavāra bhojanaṃ karoti, ca dvādaśa māsān pratidinam agnau āhutiṃ dadāti, sa sarva-bhūtebhyaḥ manohare brahma-kanyā-nivāsa-sthāne gatvā sahasra-aśvamedha-yajñānāṃ paramottamaṃ phalaṃ prāpnoti; tatra taṃ sanātanaṃ puruṣaṃ tat-sthānīyā rūpavatyaḥ kanyā manoranjayanti || nīlotpala-nibhaiḥ varṇaiḥ raktotpala-nibhais tathā | vimāna-maṇḍalāvartaṃ āvarta-gahana-ākulam ||
Bhishma bersabda—Barangsiapa selama setahun penuh makan hanya sekali setiap lewat sepuluh hari, dan selama dua belas bulan setiap hari mempersembahkan oblation (āhuti) ke dalam api suci, ia akan pergi ke kediaman para kanyā Brahmā yang elok, menyenangkan bagi segala makhluk. Di sana ia meraih buah tertinggi setara seribu yajña Aśvamedha, dan di alam itu para gadis jelita menghibur Sang Purusha yang abadi. Pemandangan tempat itu berkilau laksana warna teratai biru dan merah, dipenuhi lingkar-putar wimana surgawi, rapat oleh pusaran gerak yang dalam.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sustained self-restraint (severe fasting discipline) combined with steady daily ritual offering is presented as extraordinarily meritorious, yielding results compared to grand royal sacrifices; the passage links disciplined practice and sacrificial regularity with exalted spiritual reward.
Bhishma describes the destiny of a practitioner who follows a year-long regimen of eating only once every ten days while maintaining daily fire-offerings; he depicts the person reaching a celestial abode of Brahma’s maidens, receiving the highest fruit equal to a thousand Aśvamedhas, amid a vivid vision of lotus-colored splendor and swirling vimānas.