Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
अत्रेः तपोबलप्रकाशः तथा च्यवनस्य सोमाधिकारः
Atri’s Illumination by Tapas; Cyavana and Soma-Entitlement
मृतकस्य तृतीयाहे ब्राह्मणो योऊन्नमश्रुते । स त्रिवेलं समुन्मज्ज्य द्वादशाहेन शुध्यति
mṛtakasya tṛtīyāhe brāhmaṇo yo 'nnam aśnute | sa triveḷaṃ samunmajjya dvādaśāhena śudhyati ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Nếu một Bà-la-môn thọ thực vào ngày thứ ba sau khi có người qua đời, thì chỉ đến sau mười hai ngày—sau khi tắm gội nghi lễ đủ ba thời—mới được thanh tịnh.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that during the post-death impurity period, one must observe restraint and ritual discipline; violating prescribed conduct (such as eating at a prohibited time) entails a defined period and method of purification—here, twelve days with thrice-daily ritual bathing.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and proper conduct. Here he states a specific rule about a Brāhmaṇa’s purification if he eats on the third day after someone’s death, indicating the expiatory timeline and the practice of tri-vela bathing.