Shloka 143

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

Devanagari script

उपवासविधिवस्त्वेष विस्तरेण प्रकीर्तित: । नियतेष्वप्रमत्तेषु शौचवत्सु महात्मसु

Transliteration

upavāsavidhivastveṣa vistareṇa prakīrtitaḥ | niyateṣv apramatteṣu śaucavatsu mahātmasu, bhārata! |

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను— ఓ భారతా! ఉపవాస విధానమును, దాని క్రమమును నేను విస్తారంగా ప్రకటించితిని. ఇది నియమశీలులు, అప్రమత్తులు, శౌచపరులు అయిన మహాత్ముల కొరకు. కనుక ఈ బోధ విషయమున నీకు సందేహము కలుగకూడదు.

Word by Word

• {'upavāsa': 'fasting

• religious abstinence', 'vidhi': 'rule

• injunction', 'vastu': 'matter

• principle', 'eṣa': 'this', 'vistareṇa': 'in detail

• at length', 'prakīrtitaḥ': 'proclaimed

• set forth', 'niyata': 'restrained

• regulated', 'apramatta': 'vigilant

• attentive', 'śaucavat': 'possessing purity

• observing cleanliness (outer and inner)', 'mahātman': 'great-souled

• noble-minded', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fasting (upavāsa) is a disciplined dharmic practice whose proper method has been explained in detail, and it is especially suited to people who are self-controlled, vigilant, and committed to purity; one should accept it without doubt when undertaken with such inner qualifications.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he concludes or reinforces his exposition on the procedure of fasting, emphasizing the character and mental purity required for the practice to be meaningful.