Shloka 2
उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit
Angiras Teaching
ब्रह्मक्षत्रेण नियमाश्च॒र्तव्या इति न: श्रुतम् उपवासे कथं तेषां कृत्यमस्ति पितामह
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | brahmakṣatreṇa niyamāś cartavyā iti naḥ śrutam | upavāse kathaṃ teṣāṃ kṛtyam asti pitāmaha pitāmaha ||
由提湿提罗说道：“我们听说婆罗门与刹帝利应当遵守既定的戒律与约束。然而，祖父啊，我不明白他们如何凭借斋戒而成就其所求——禁食怎样才成为他们有意义的职责？”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: disciplines (niyama) are acknowledged as obligatory for Brahmins and Kshatriyas, but Yudhiṣṭhira asks for the ethical rationale—how fasting concretely serves their rightful aims. It invites an explanation of austerity as a means of self-control, purification, and strengthening commitment to duty.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Pitāmaha’ and seeks clarification about the practical purpose of fasting within the duties of the leading social orders, preparing the ground for Bhīṣma’s teaching on observances and their fruits.