Shloka 39
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
यस्तु संवत्सरं भुड्क्ते नवमे नवमे5हनि,जो एक वर्षतक नौ-नौ दिनपर एक समय भोजन करता है और बारहों महीने प्रतिदिन अग्निमें आहुति देता है, उसे एक हजार अश्वमेध यज्ञका परम उत्तम फल प्राप्त होता है
yastu saṁvatsaraṁ bhuṅkte navame navame 'hani, sa eka-varṣaṁ yāvat nava-nava-dine ekakālaṁ bhojanaṁ karoti dvādaśa-māsān pratidinam agnau āhutiṁ dadāti; tasmai sahasrāśvamedha-yajñānāṁ paramottamaṁ phalaṁ prāpyate.
毗湿摩说道：若有人整整一年每逢第九日方食一次，并在十二个月中日日向圣火献供——此等自律之人，所得功德至为殊胜，等同于千次马祭（Aśvamedha）。此教赞叹恒久的克己与每日神圣职责相结合，示内在苦行与忠实仪轨为通往灵性果报的强大道德之路。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sustained self-control (eating only once every ninth day) combined with unwavering daily sacred duty (offering oblations into the fire) is praised as extraordinarily meritorious—ethically elevating inner discipline and consistent practice above mere display, equating it with the fruit of grand royal sacrifices.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he describes a specific year-long vow of regulated eating and daily fire-offerings, then states the resulting spiritual merit: the highest fruit comparable to that of a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices.