Shloka 110
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु नियतो नियताशन: । जितेन्द्रियो वीतरागो जुह्मानो जातवेदसम्
sadā dvādaśa-māsāṁs tu niyato niyatāśanaḥ | jitendriyo vītarāgo juhmāno jātavedasam ||
Bhīṣma disse: «Aquele que, por doze meses completos, vive sob disciplina—comedido no alimento, senhor de si e livre de apego—oferecendo diariamente oblações ao fogo sagrado, Agni (Jātavedas), alcança mundos excelsos. Honrado pelas Apsaras, esse virtuoso vai aos reinos das hostes dos Maruts e dos oito Vasus. O ensinamento louva a contenção sustentada, a vida regrada e o fiel dever sacrificial como caminho para uma recompensa espiritual mais elevada.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sustained discipline—regulated diet, mastery of the senses, freedom from attachment, and daily fire-offerings—constitutes a powerful dharmic practice that yields elevated spiritual results. The verse links inner restraint (jitendriya, vītarāga) with outer ritual fidelity (homa to Agni).
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and the fruits of vows and austerities. Here he describes the merit of a year-long regulated observance with daily offerings to Agni, stating that such a practitioner is honoured by celestial beings and attains the worlds associated with the Maruts and the eight Vasus.