मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
अष्टादशे यो दिवसे प्राश्नीयादेकभोजनम्
aṣṭādaśe yo divase prāśnīyād ekabhojanam
Bhīṣma nói: “Ai, vào ngày thứ mười tám, chỉ dùng bữa một lần (giữ hạnh nguyện mỗi ngày một bữa),”
भीष्म उवाच
The verse promotes disciplined restraint—specifically limiting oneself to one meal on a designated day—as a dharmic practice. Such regulation of appetite is presented as a means to cultivate self-mastery and moral purity.
Bhīṣma is instructing (in a prescriptive, rule-like style) about a particular observance involving diet. The line is part of a larger set of guidelines where specific days and modes of eating are linked to ethical and religious merit.