Shloka 556

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

Devanagari script

सदा द्वादशमासान्‌ वै सर्वमेधफलं लभेत्‌ | जो बारह महीनोंतक प्रति बारहवें दिन केवल हविष्यान्न ग्रहण करता है, उसे सर्वमेध यज्ञका फल मिलता है

Transliteration

sadā dvādaśa-māsān vai sarva-medha-phalaṁ labhet |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Ai trọn mười hai tháng, đều đặn giữ hạnh—cứ mỗi ngày thứ mười hai chỉ dùng havishyānna—thì đạt công đức ngang với lễ tế Sarvamedha. Lời dạy ấy nêu rõ rằng sự tự chế và kỷ luật bền bỉ có thể đem lại kết quả được ca ngợi như những nghi lễ vĩ đại, đề cao nỗ lực đạo hạnh hơn vẻ huy hoàng bên ngoài.

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Gender: (agrees with मासान्) Masculine; Case: Accusative; Number: Plural

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Gender: Masculine; Case: Accusative; Number: Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सर्वमेधफलम्: the fruit/result of the Sarvamedha (sacrifice)
• सर्वमेधफलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वमेध-फल
• Form: Gender: Neuter; Case: Accusative; Number: Singular

• लभेत्: would obtain / may obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Tense/Mood: Optative (Vidhi-lin); Person: 3rd; Number: Singular; Voice: Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Sarvamedha (sacrifice)
• havishyānna (ritual food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sustained self-restraint practiced with regularity—here, a year-long observance of taking only havishyānna on each Dvādaśī—can confer merit praised as equal to a major Vedic sacrifice. The verse elevates disciplined ethical practice and purity of conduct as a powerful means of spiritual attainment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and religious observances. This verse occurs within his guidance on vows and austerities, stating the spiritual reward of a specific year-long dietary observance tied to the twelfth day.