Shloka 17

उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit

Angiras Teaching

Devanagari script

मार्गशीर्ष तु यो मासमेकभक्तेन संक्षिपेत्‌

Transliteration

mārgaśīrṣa tu yo māsam ekabhaktena saṁkṣipet

Translation

ಅಂಗಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಯಾರು ಮಾರ್ಗಶೀರ್ಷ ಮಾಸವನ್ನು ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದೇ ಬಾರಿ ಭೋಜನ ಮಾಡಿ ಕಳೆಯುತ್ತಾನೋ, ಅವನು ಸಂಯಮವ್ರತವನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಈ ವ್ರತವನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಪುಣ್ಯವೆಂದು ಹೇಳಲಾಗಿದೆ; ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಇದು ಆತ್ಮನಿಗ್ರಹವನ್ನು ವೃದ್ಧಿಸಿ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ಪೋಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• मार्गशीर्षम्: the month Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मासम्: month
• मासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एकभक्तेन: with one meal (once-daily eating)
• एकभक्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकभक्त
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• संक्षिपेत्: should observe/should pass (spend) (in restraint)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-क्षिप्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अंगियरा उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṅgirā
• Mārgaśīrṣa (month)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse commends regulated eating—specifically taking only one meal a day during the month of Mārgaśīrṣa—as a form of tapas that cultivates self-mastery and supports ethical, dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṅgirā is enumerating or prescribing month-based religious observances (vratas). Here he highlights the practice of ekabhakta (single daily meal) for the month of Mārgaśīrṣa as a meritorious discipline.