Shloka 12
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
जो बहुत-सी सुवर्णकी दक्षिणासे युक्त इन्द्रप्रिय यज्ञका अनुष्ठान करता है तथा सत्यवादी, दानशील, ब्राह्मणभक्त, अदोषदर्शी, क्षमाशील, जितेन्द्रिय और क्रोधविजयी होता है, वह उत्तम गतिको प्राप्त होता है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | yo bahu-sī suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā-yukta indra-priya-yajñasya anuṣṭhānaṃ karoti tathā satyavādī dānaśīlaḥ brāhmaṇa-bhaktaḥ adoṣa-darśī kṣamāśīlaḥ jitendriyaḥ krodha-vijayī ca bhavati sa uttamāṃ gatiṃ prāpnoti || pāṇḍura-bhra-pratīkāśe vimāne haṃsa-lakṣaṇe | dve samāpte tataḥ padme so 'psarobhir vaset saha ||
इन्द्रप्रियं यज्ञमथानुतिष्ठन् बहुसुवर्णदक्षिणासमन्वितः । सत्यव्रतो दानपरः द्विजभक्तो निर्दोषदर्शी क्षमवान् जितेन्द्रियः ॥ जितक्रोधः स परां गतिमाप्नुयात् । पाण्डुराभ्रप्रतीकाशे विमाने हंसलक्षणे ॥ द्वे समाप्ते ततः पद्मे सोऽप्सरोभिः सहावसेत् ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual merit is affirmed, but it is explicitly tied to ethical virtues: truthfulness, generosity, reverence for Brahmanas, faultlessness in outlook (not seeking others’ defects), forgiveness, sense-control, and conquest of anger. The verse presents these as the integrated basis for attaining an exalted post-mortem destiny.
Bhishma describes the reward of a person who performs an Indra-pleasing sacrifice with rich gold gifts and lives by key virtues. The reward is depicted in vivid heavenly imagery: the person rides a swan-emblem celestial chariot, shining like white clouds, and dwells with apsaras for a long, named duration (‘two Padma’ periods).