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

Aṅgirā nói: “Ai trải qua tháng Mārgaśīrṣa chỉ dùng một bữa mỗi ngày thì thực hành sự tiết chế khẩu dục một cách nghiêm cẩn—được nêu ở đây như một lời nguyện công đức, rèn luyện tự chủ và nâng đỡ đời sống theo dharma.”

Word by Word

• मार्गशीर्षम्: the month Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मासम्: month
• मासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एकभक्तेन: with one meal (once-daily eating)
• एकभक्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकभक्त
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• संक्षिपेत्: should observe/should pass (spend) (in restraint)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-क्षिप्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अंगियरा उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṅgirā
• Mārgaśīrṣa (month)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.