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

ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದರು— ಓ ಪಾರ್ಥ! ಉಪವಾಸಫಲವೇ ಸಾರವಾಗಿರುವ ಈ ಧರ್ಮವಿಧಾನವನ್ನು ನಾನು ಕ್ರಮಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ವಿವರಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಯಜ್ಞಫಲ ಹೇಗೆ ದೊರೆಯುವುದೋ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ದರಿದ್ರ ಮಾನವರೂ ಈ ಉಪವಾಸಾಧಾರಿತ ವ್ರತಗಳಿಂದ ಯಜ್ಞಫಲವನ್ನೇ ಪಡೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಓ ಭರತಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ! ಯಜ್ಞಗಳ ಪರಮ ವಿಧಿಯನ್ನು ನಿನಗೆ ಹಂತ ಹಂತವಾಗಿ ವಿಶದವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದೇನೆ; ಅದರೊಳಗೆ ಉಪವಾಸದಿಂದ ಉಂಟಾಗುವ ಪುಣ್ಯವನ್ನೂ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಓ ಕುಂತೀನಂದನ! ಧನವಿಲ್ಲದವರೂ ಈ ಉಪವಾಸವ್ರತಗಳನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸಿ ಯಜ್ಞಸಮಾನ ಫಲವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ.

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.