Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 393
उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit
Angiras Teaching
अतितात्रस्य यज्ञस्य स फलं समुपाश्षुते जो मानव पूरे एक वर्षतक प्रतिदिन एक बार भोजन करके रहता है, वह अतिरात्रयज्ञका फल भोगता है
atirātrasya yajñasya sa phalaṁ samupāśnute | yo mānavaḥ pūre eka-varṣaṁ yāvat pratidinam eka-vāraṁ bhojanaṁ kṛtvā tiṣṭhati, sa atirātra-yajñasya phalaṁ bhuṅkte ||
安吉罗娑说道：“凡人若能整整一年，每日仅进食一次，便可获得阿提罗多罗（Atirātra）祭的功德。如此守戒克制，其果报与阿提罗多罗之仪同等。”
अंगियरा उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sustained self-restraint—here, eating only once daily for a year—can confer the same spiritual merit as an elaborate Vedic sacrifice, emphasizing inner discipline as a powerful form of dharma.
Aṅgiras is instructing about the fruits of religious practice, stating that a year-long vow of moderated eating grants the reward traditionally associated with performing the Atirātra sacrifice.