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 berkata: “Bila seseorang menerima pemberian tanah—terutama pada saat gerhana atau ketika berada dalam masa ketidak-sucian ritual (sūtaka)—hendaklah ia menebusnya dengan berpuasa selama tiga malam; dengan laku itu ia terbebas dari dosa yang timbul.”
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.