Mahabharata 3.52.24 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 52, Shloka 24
Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)
तथैव वेदवचन श्रूयते नित्यदा विभो । संवत्सरो महाराज पूर्णो भवति कृच्छृत:,'प्रभो! महाराज! इसी प्रकार सदा यह वैदिक वचन सुना जाता है कि कृच्छृव्रतके अनुष्ठानसे एक वर्षकी पूर्ति हो जाती है
tathaiva vedavacanaṁ śrūyate nityadā vibho | saṁvatsaro mahārāja pūrṇo bhavati kṛcchrataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Do mesmo modo, ó poderoso—ó grande rei—ouve-se sempre este dito védico: ao empreender a observância do Kṛcchra, um ano inteiro é, por assim dizer, completado (em mérito).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse appeals to Vedic authority to emphasize the spiritual efficacy of disciplined penance: the Kṛcchra observance is said to yield merit comparable to completing a full year, underscoring the ethical value of self-restraint and expiation.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a traditional Vedic maxim to the king he is addressing, reinforcing a point about vows and austerities—specifically that performing the Kṛcchra-vrata is regarded as powerfully meritorious, as if it ‘completes’ a year.
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