मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु सत्यवादी धृतव्रत: । अमांसाशी ब्रह्मचारी सर्वभूतहिते रत:
sadā dvādaśa-māsāṁs tu satyavādī dhṛta-vrataḥ | amāṁsāśī brahmacārī sarva-bhūta-hite rataḥ ||
भीष्म म्हणाले—तो पूर्ण बारा महिने सदैव सत्यवादी व दृढव्रती राहतो; मांसत्याग करतो, ब्रह्मचर्य पाळतो आणि सर्वभूतांच्या हितात रत असतो।
भीष्म उवाच
The verse praises a dharmic regimen of sustained self-restraint: truthfulness, unwavering commitment to vows, abstention from meat, celibate discipline, and active concern for the welfare of all beings—presented as a coherent ethical ideal rather than isolated virtues.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and right conduct. Here he describes the qualities and year-long disciplined practice of an exemplary person/observer of vows, emphasizing moral integrity and universal benevolence.