Shloka 96
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
धर्मपत्नीरतो नित्यमग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । जो अपनी ही धर्मपत्नीमें अनुराग रखते हुए निरन्तर तीन वर्षोतक प्रतिदिन एक समय भोजन करके रहता है
bhīṣma uvāca | dharmapatnīrato nityam agniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet | dvāviṃśe divase prāpte yo bhuṅkte ekabhोजनम् |
Bhishma disse: “O homem que permanece sempre devotado à sua esposa legítima alcança o mérito do sacrifício Agniṣṭoma. Do mesmo modo, aquele que, ao completar-se um período determinado (aqui indicado como o vigésimo segundo dia), come apenas uma vez, observando rigorosa disciplina e contenção, obtém também mérito sacrificial.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That steadfast fidelity to one’s lawful spouse and disciplined restraint in eating (a regulated vow such as eating once) are themselves powerful dharmic practices, capable of producing merit comparable to major Vedic sacrifices like the Agniṣṭoma.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he praises household virtues—devotion to one’s dharmic marriage and self-control—by equating their spiritual fruit with that of a renowned yajña, thereby emphasizing accessible ethical observances over costly ritual performance.