Shloka 22
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
दिवसे पउ्चमे यस्तु प्राश्नीयादेकभोजनम्
divase pañcame yas tu prāśnīyād ekabhojanam, anasūyur apāpastho dvādaśāhaphalaṁ labhet.
Bhīṣma disse: “Quem, a cada quinto dia, toma alimento apenas uma vez—sem malícia e firmemente estabelecido na ausência de pecado—obtém o mérito equivalente ao sacrifício Dvādaśāha.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sincere self-discipline—especially regulated eating combined with freedom from malice and avoidance of sin—can yield merit comparable to major Vedic sacrifices, showing that ethical purity and restraint are central to dharma.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he describes a specific austerity (eating once on every fifth day) and states its spiritual reward: the fruit of the Dvādaśāha sacrifice, thereby encouraging practical, inner-focused observances.