Shloka 53
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
विधिं यज्ञफलैस्तुल्यं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर । भीष्मजीने कहा--युधिष्ठिर! अंगिरा मुनिकी बतलायी हुई जो उपवासकी विधि है
vidhiṁ yajñaphalais tulyaṁ tan nibodha yudhiṣṭhira | varṣāṇy aparimeyāṇi yugāntāgnisamaprabhaḥ ||
विधिं यज्ञफलैस्तुल्यं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर । अङ्गिरसा यथोक्तं वै उपवासविधिं शुभम् ॥ पुनर्वक्ष्यामि तं शृणु वर्षाण्यपरिमेयानि । युगान्ताग्निसमप्रभः पुण्यं तस्य प्रकाशते ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that disciplined fasting (upavāsa-vidhi), as taught by the sage Aṅgirā, can yield merit equal to that obtained through elaborate sacrifices—highlighting inner restraint and ethical discipline as a powerful form of dharma.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira and introduces (or reiterates) a specific fasting observance, praising its efficacy and long-lasting spiritual fruit, comparable to sacrificial results.