Shloka 69
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
यत्तु पक्षे गते भुडक्ते एकभक्तं जितेन्द्रिय: । सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु जुह्दानो जातवेदसम्
yat tu pakṣe gate bhuñkte ekabhaktaṁ jitendriyaḥ | sadā dvādaśa-māsāṁs tu juhvāno jātavedasam ||
Disse Bhishma: Mas o homem autocontrolado que, passada a quinzena, come apenas uma vez no dia prescrito e que, por doze meses, continuamente oferece oblações ao fogo sagrado (Agni) todos os dias, alcança o mérito supremo—igual ao de mil sacrifícios Rājasūya—e é levado num carro aéreo divino, assistido por cisnes e pavões.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Disciplined restraint (jitendriyatā) combined with steady sacred duty (daily fire-offering) is presented as a powerful form of dharma, yielding merit comparable to grand royal sacrifices—showing that inner discipline and consistent practice can rival costly public rites.
Bhīṣma is describing a specific observance: eating only once at the end of each fortnight while maintaining daily offerings to Agni for a full year. He then states the exalted reward—equivalent to a thousand Rājasūyas and ascent in a divine vimāna attended by swans and peacocks.