Shloka 17
उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit
Angiras Teaching
Devanagari script
मार्गशीर्ष तु यो मासमेकभक्तेन संक्षिपेत्
Transliteration
mārgaśīrṣa tu yo māsam ekabhaktena saṁkṣipet
Translation
अङ्गिरा उवाच—यो मार्गशीर्षमासमेकभक्तेन संक्षिपेत्, स संयमव्रतं चरति; एतद्धि पुण्यं व्रतमिहोक्तं, यत् आत्मनिग्रहं वर्धयति धर्मजीवनं चोपबृंहयति।
Word by Word
मार्गशीर्षम्the month Mārgaśīrṣa
मार्गशीर्षम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमार्गशीर्ष
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
यःwho (he who)
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मासम्month
मासम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमास
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
एकभक्तेनwith one meal (once-daily eating)
एकभक्तेन:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootएकभक्त
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
संक्षिपेत्should observe/should pass (spend) (in restraint)
संक्षिपेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-क्षिप्
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
Speaker
अंगियरा उवाच
Characters & Entities
A
AṅgirāM
Mārgaśīrṣa (month)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse commends regulated eating—specifically taking only one meal a day during the month of Mārgaśīrṣa—as a form of tapas that cultivates self-mastery and supports ethical, dharmic conduct.
Aṅgirā is enumerating or prescribing month-based religious observances (vratas). Here he highlights the practice of ekabhakta (single daily meal) for the month of Mārgaśīrṣa as a meritorious discipline.