Shloka 141

मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity

Devanagari script

व्याख्यातो ह्ानुपूर्व्येण उपवासफलात्मक: । दरिद्रेर्मनुजै: पार्थ प्राप्त यज्ञफलं यथा

Transliteration

vyākhyāto hy ānupūrvyena upavāsaphalātmakaḥ | daridrair manujaiḥ pārtha prāptaṃ yajñaphalaṃ yathā || bharataśreṣṭha! yaḥ tubhyaṃ yajñānām uttamaṃ vidhānaṃ kramaśaḥ vistārapūrvakaṃ vyākhyātaṃ, tasmin upavāsasya phale prakāśo dattaḥ | kuntīnandana! daridrā manuṣyāḥ ebhiḥ upavāsātmakair vratānuṣṭhānaiḥ yajñānāṃ phalaṃ prāptavantaḥ ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच— व्याख्यातो ह्यनुपूर्व्येण उपवासफलात्मकः। पार्थ, यथा यज्ञफलं प्राप्यते, तथा दरिद्रैरपि मनुजैरिमैः उपवासात्मकैर्व्रतैर्यज्ञफलमेव प्राप्तम्। भरतश्रेष्ठ, यज्ञानां परमं विधानं ते क्रमशो विस्तरेण प्रोक्तम्; तत्रोपवासजन्यं पुण्यं च प्रकाशयामि। कुन्तीनन्दन, धनहीना अपि जनाः एतानि व्रतान्यनुतिष्ठन्तो यज्ञसमं फलं प्राप्नुवन्ति।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'vyākhyātaḥ', 'definition': 'explained, expounded'}, {'term': 'ānupūrvyena', 'definition': 'in proper order

• sequentially'}, {'term': 'upavāsa', 'definition': 'fasting

• religious abstinence'}, {'term': 'phala', 'definition': 'fruit

• merit'}, {'term': 'upavāsaphalātmakaḥ', 'definition': 'having as its essence the fruit/merit of fasting'}, {'term': 'daridra', 'definition': 'poor

• lacking wealth'}, {'term': 'manuja', 'definition': 'human being

• man'}, {'term': 'pārtha', 'definition': 'son of Pritha (Kunti)

• Arjuna'}, {'term': 'prāptam / prāptavantaḥ', 'definition': 'obtained

• attained'}, {'term': 'yajña', 'definition': 'sacrifice

• ritual offering'}, {'term': 'yajñaphala', 'definition': 'the fruit/reward of sacrifice'}, {'term': 'bharataśreṣṭha', 'definition': 'best among the Bharatas (address to Yudhishthira/Arjuna depending on context)'}, {'term': 'vidhāna', 'definition': 'ordinance

• prescribed procedure'}, {'term': 'vrata', 'definition': 'vow

• religious observance'}, {'term': 'anuṣṭhāna', 'definition': 'performance

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Partha (Arjuna)
• Kuntinandan(a) (Arjuna)
• Bharata-shreshtha (best of the Bharatas)
• Yajna (sacrifice)
• Upavasa (fasting)
• Daridra manuja (poor people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fasting-based vows can yield merit comparable to that of elaborate sacrifices, making spiritual reward accessible even to those who lack wealth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma continues instructing the listener (addressed as Partha/Kuntinandana and ‘best of the Bharatas’) by summarizing that he has explained sacrificial ordinances in order and highlighting that the fruit of sacrifice can be attained through upavasa-vratas, even by the poor.