Shloka 69

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

Devanagari script

यत्तु पक्षे गते भुडक्ते एकभक्तं जितेन्द्रिय: । सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु जुह्दानो जातवेदसम्‌

Transliteration

yat tu pakṣe gate bhuñkte ekabhaktaṁ jitendriyaḥ | sadā dvādaśa-māsāṁs tu juhvāno jātavedasam ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Nhưng người tự chế, sau khi hết một nửa tháng, đến ngày định kỳ chỉ ăn một bữa, và suốt mười hai tháng không ngừng dâng cúng vào lửa thiêng Agni mỗi ngày, sẽ đạt công đức tối thượng—ngang với một nghìn lễ Rājasūya—và được nâng lên một thiên xa, có thiên nga và công phụng hầu.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which / whoever (he who)
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तु: but, however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पक्षे: in a fortnight (half-month)
• पक्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• गते: when (it is) gone/passed
• गते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एकभक्तम्: a single meal (once-only food)
• एकभक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकभक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• द्वादश: twelve
• Type: Numeral
• Root: द्वादश

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• जुह्वानः: offering (into fire), sacrificing
• जुह्वानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni, fire-god)
• जातवेदसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Jātavedas (Agni)
• Rājasūya (sacrifice)
• divya vimāna (divine aerial car)
• haṁsa (swans)
• mayūra (peacocks)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Disciplined restraint (jitendriyatā) combined with steady sacred duty (daily fire-offering) is presented as a powerful form of dharma, yielding merit comparable to grand royal sacrifices—showing that inner discipline and consistent practice can rival costly public rites.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing a specific observance: eating only once at the end of each fortnight while maintaining daily offerings to Agni for a full year. He then states the exalted reward—equivalent to a thousand Rājasūyas and ascent in a divine vimāna attended by swans and peacocks.