Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline
तपोधनो! मनुष्य जिस प्रकार बिना किसी संशयके यज्ञका फल पाता है, वह सब पूर्णरूपसे बताऊँगा, सुनो ।।
Bhīṣma uvāca: Tapodhana! manuṣyaḥ yathā vinā saṁśayena yajñasya phalaṁ prāpnoti, tat sarvaṁ pūrṇarūpeṇa vakṣyāmi—śṛṇu. Pauṣamāsasya śukle vai yadā yujyeta Rohiṇī, tena nakṣatrayogena ākāśaśayano bhavet.
ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ມີທະປະອຸດົມ, ຈົ່ງຟັງ—ເຮົາຈະອະທິບາຍໃຫ້ຄົບຖ້ວນວ່າ ມະນຸດຈະໄດ້ຮັບຜົນແຫ່ງຍັດຍະໂດຍບໍ່ມີຄວາມສົງໄສແນວໃດ. ໃນຄື່ງເດືອນສວ່າງຂອງເດືອນ ເປົາສະ (Pauṣa), ເມື່ອນັກສັດຕະຣາ ໂຣຫິນີ (Rohiṇī) ມາປະກົບກັນ, ຄວນນອນໃຕ້ຟ້າໂລ່ງໃນຄືນນັ້ນ. ຜູ້ໃດຮັກສາວຣະຕະນີ້ດ້ວຍຄວາມບໍລິສຸດ ແລະສັດທາທີ່ຈົງໃຈ, ຍ່ອມໄດ້ບຸນສົມຄວນກັບຍັດຍະໃຫຍ່».
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma teaches that disciplined observances aligned with sacred time—performed with purity, faith, and concentration—can yield merit comparable to major sacrifices, showing that inner sincerity and right practice can substitute for costly ritual.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing on dharma and religious observances; here he prescribes a specific time-bound vow in the month of Pauṣa when Rohiṇī is conjoined, stating that sleeping under the open sky on that night grants great sacrificial merit.