Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 54
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
रुद्रेण सह देवेश तन्निबोध शचीपते । “एक दूसरा गूढ़ रहस्य, जिसका ऋषियोंने चिन्तन किया है, सुनिये। इसे मैंने भगवान् शंकरके स्थानमें भाषण करते हुए बृहस्पतिजीके मुखसे भगवान् रुद्रके साथ ही सुना था। देवेश! शचीपते! उसे ध्यानपूर्वक सुनिये ।।
śakra uvāca | rudreṇa saha deveśa tannibodha śacīpate | eka dvitīyaṁ gūḍha-rahasyaṁ yad ṛṣibhiś cintitaṁ śṛṇu | etad ahaṁ bhagavataḥ śaṅkarasya sthāne bhāṣaṇaṁ kurvataḥ bṛhaspati-mukhād bhagavato rudreṇa sahaiva śrutavān | deveśa śacīpate tad avahitaḥ śṛṇu || parvatārohaṇaṁ kṛtvā ekapādo vibhāvasum | (bhojanāt pūrvam ekapādena tiṣṭhan bāhū ūrdhvaṁ kṛtvā añjaliṁ badhvā tatra agni-divaṁ prati paśyati) sa mahā-tapasyā-yuktaḥ upavāsa-phalaṁ prāpnoti ||
释迦罗说道：“噢，诸天之主，舍支之夫！当与鲁陀罗一同领会此事。再听一则深奥秘要，乃诸仙所沉思者。我昔从布里哈斯帕提之口得闻，此言在吉祥的商羯罗之处宣说，鲁陀罗亦在其前。噢，诸天之主，舍支主（Śacīpati）——当专心聆听。若有人登上山巅，于进食之前单足而立，双臂高举，合掌致敬，并凝望于火与苍穹；此人具大苦行，所得功德等同于斋戒之果。”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
A disciplined bodily observance—mountain ascent, one-foot stance, raised arms, joined palms, and reverent gaze toward fire/heaven before eating—can generate the same religious merit as a formal fast, emphasizing intentional self-restraint and focused devotion.
Indra (Śakra) addresses the lord of the gods as Śacīpati, stating that he learned a profound, seer-reflected secret from Bṛhaspati in Śiva’s presence with Rudra, and then transmits that teaching as a specific austerity practice and its promised fruit.