Shloka 143

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

Devanagari script

उपवासविधिवस्त्वेष विस्तरेण प्रकीर्तित: । नियतेष्वप्रमत्तेषु शौचवत्सु महात्मसु

Transliteration

upavāsavidhivastveṣa vistareṇa prakīrtitaḥ | niyateṣv apramatteṣu śaucavatsu mahātmasu, bhārata! |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“噢，婆罗多啊，我已详尽宣说此斋戒之法度与仪轨。此法乃为大心之人而设：能自制、常警觉、笃行清净。故于此教诲，你不应生起疑惑。”

Word by Word

• {'upavāsa': 'fasting

• religious abstinence', 'vidhi': 'rule

• injunction', 'vastu': 'matter

• principle', 'eṣa': 'this', 'vistareṇa': 'in detail

• at length', 'prakīrtitaḥ': 'proclaimed

• set forth', 'niyata': 'restrained

• regulated', 'apramatta': 'vigilant

• attentive', 'śaucavat': 'possessing purity

• observing cleanliness (outer and inner)', 'mahātman': 'great-souled

• noble-minded', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fasting (upavāsa) is a disciplined dharmic practice whose proper method has been explained in detail, and it is especially suited to people who are self-controlled, vigilant, and committed to purity; one should accept it without doubt when undertaken with such inner qualifications.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he concludes or reinforces his exposition on the procedure of fasting, emphasizing the character and mental purity required for the practice to be meaningful.