Shloka 141

मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity

Devanagari script

व्याख्यातो ह्ानुपूर्व्येण उपवासफलात्मक: । दरिद्रेर्मनुजै: पार्थ प्राप्त यज्ञफलं यथा

Transliteration

vyākhyāto hy ānupūrvyena upavāsaphalātmakaḥ | daridrair manujaiḥ pārtha prāptaṃ yajñaphalaṃ yathā || bharataśreṣṭha! yaḥ tubhyaṃ yajñānām uttamaṃ vidhānaṃ kramaśaḥ vistārapūrvakaṃ vyākhyātaṃ, tasmin upavāsasya phale prakāśo dattaḥ | kuntīnandana! daridrā manuṣyāḥ ebhiḥ upavāsātmakair vratānuṣṭhānaiḥ yajñānāṃ phalaṃ prāptavantaḥ ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「私は、斎戒（断食）の果報を本質とする修行の規範を、順序正しく説き明かした。おおパールタよ、祭祀（ヤジュニャ）の果が得られるように、貧しき者たちもまた、この斎戒を基とする誓戒（ヴラタ）を行じて祭祀の果を得たのである。おおバーラタ族の最勝者よ、私は汝に—段階を追い、詳らかに—諸祭祀の最上の法を示し、その中で斎戒より生ずる功徳を明らかにした。おおクンティーの子よ、財なき者であっても、これら斎戒の誓戒を担えば、祭祀と同等の報いに至るのだ。」

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'vyākhyātaḥ', 'definition': 'explained, expounded'}, {'term': 'ānupūrvyena', 'definition': 'in proper order

• sequentially'}, {'term': 'upavāsa', 'definition': 'fasting

• religious abstinence'}, {'term': 'phala', 'definition': 'fruit

• merit'}, {'term': 'upavāsaphalātmakaḥ', 'definition': 'having as its essence the fruit/merit of fasting'}, {'term': 'daridra', 'definition': 'poor

• lacking wealth'}, {'term': 'manuja', 'definition': 'human being

• man'}, {'term': 'pārtha', 'definition': 'son of Pritha (Kunti)

• Arjuna'}, {'term': 'prāptam / prāptavantaḥ', 'definition': 'obtained

• attained'}, {'term': 'yajña', 'definition': 'sacrifice

• ritual offering'}, {'term': 'yajñaphala', 'definition': 'the fruit/reward of sacrifice'}, {'term': 'bharataśreṣṭha', 'definition': 'best among the Bharatas (address to Yudhishthira/Arjuna depending on context)'}, {'term': 'vidhāna', 'definition': 'ordinance

• prescribed procedure'}, {'term': 'vrata', 'definition': 'vow

• religious observance'}, {'term': 'anuṣṭhāna', 'definition': 'performance

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Partha (Arjuna)
• Kuntinandan(a) (Arjuna)
• Bharata-shreshtha (best of the Bharatas)
• Yajna (sacrifice)
• Upavasa (fasting)
• Daridra manuja (poor people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fasting-based vows can yield merit comparable to that of elaborate sacrifices, making spiritual reward accessible even to those who lack wealth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma continues instructing the listener (addressed as Partha/Kuntinandana and ‘best of the Bharatas’) by summarizing that he has explained sacrificial ordinances in order and highlighting that the fruit of sacrifice can be attained through upavasa-vratas, even by the poor.