Shloka 66
उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit
Angiras Teaching
ब्राह्मणेभ्य: परं नास्ति पावनं दिवि चेह च । उपवासैस्तथा तुल्यं तपःकर्म न विद्यते,जैसे इस लोक और परलोकमें ब्रह्मवेत्ता ब्राह्मणोंसे बढ़कर कोई पावन नहीं है, उसी प्रकार उपवासके समान कोई तप नहीं है
brāhmaṇebhyaḥ paraṃ nāsti pāvanaṃ divi ceha ca | upavāsais tathā tulyaṃ tapaḥkarma na vidyate ||
Aṅgirā menyatakan: Tiada yang lebih menyucikan—di syurga mahupun di dunia ini—daripada para Brahmin sejati, para pengenal Brahman. Demikian juga, dalam amalan tapa, tiada perbuatan asketik yang setara dengan puasa.
अंगियरा उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a hierarchy of purification: spiritually realized Brahmins are presented as the highest purifiers in both worlds, and fasting (upavāsa) is upheld as the foremost austerity, surpassing other forms of tapas in effectiveness.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Aṅgirā is giving dharma-oriented counsel, emphasizing reverence for spiritual knowledge and the ethical discipline of self-restraint through fasting as key means to purification.