Shloka 12
Mohinī-prashna
The Question about Mohinī
जीवितस्यापि दानेन न मे किंचित्प्रयोदजनम् । न च वेदेषु दृष्टोऽयमुपवासो हरेर्दिने ॥ १२ ॥
jīvitasyāpi dānena na me kiṃcitprayodajanam | na ca vedeṣu dṛṣṭo'yamupavāso harerdine || 12 ||
たとえ自らの命を施そうとも、我には成すべき目的は何もない。しかも、ハリの日にこのように断食せよとは、ヴェーダに見いだされない。
Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada, Uttara-Bhaga teaching context)
Vrata: Hari-dina upavāsa (generic; not a named vrata here)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
The verse highlights a debate about scriptural authority: the speaker questions the usefulness of extreme acts (even self-sacrifice) and challenges whether fasting on Hari’s day is explicitly Vedic, setting up a clarification of proper vrata-dharma and devotion.
It implies that devotion is not validated merely by dramatic austerity; rather, authentic bhakti must be aligned with true dharma and sound scriptural grounding—prompting the tradition to explain why Hari-related vratas are upheld in Purana-based practice.
It underscores the principle of śāstra-pramāṇa (scriptural proof) used in ritual decision-making—i.e., checking whether a practice is ‘seen in the Vedas’ before accepting it as obligatory.