Anushasanika Parva — Ordinances equivalent to sacrifices for poor men

Yudhishthira said O grandfather, all the orders of men, including the very Mlechchhas, are naturally disposed to observe fasts. We, however, do not know the reason thereof.

We have heard that only Brahmanas and Kshatriyas should observe the vow of fasts. How, O grandfather, are the other castes to be taken as acquiring any merit by the observance of fasts?

How have vows and fasts come to be observed by persons of all castes, O king? What is that end which one devoted to the observance of fasts, acquires?

It has been said that fasts are greatly meritorious and that fasts are a great refuge. O king, what is the fruit that is acquired in this world by the man who observes fasts?

By what means is one purged of his sins? By what means does one acquire virtue. By what means, O best of the Bharatas, does one succeed in acquiring Heaven and merit.

After having observed a fast, what should one give away, O king? O tell me, what those duties are by which one may succeed in acquiring objects leading to happiness.

Vaishampayana said Kunti's son begotten by the deity of Dharma, who was conversant with every duty and who said so to him, Shantanu's son, Bhishma, who knew every duty, answered in the following words.

Bhishma said Formerly, O king, I heard of these high merits O chief of Bharata's race, as belonging to the observance of fasts according to the ordinance.

I had, O Bharata, asked the Rishi Angirasa of great ascetic merit, the very same questions which you have asked me today.

Accosted by me thus, the illustrious Rishi, who originated from the sacrificial fire, answered me even thus about the observance of fasts according to the ordinance.

Angirasa said Fasts for three nights together, ordained for Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, O delighter of the Kurus. Indeed, O king, a fast for one night, for two nights, and for three nights may be observed by them.

Fast for one night is ordained for Vaishyas and Shudras. If they observe fasts for two or three nights by mistake, such fasts never bring on their advancement.

Fasts for two nights have been ordained for Vaishyas and Shudras (on certain special occasions). Fasts for three nights, however, have not been ordained for them by persons knowing duties.

The wise man who, with his senses and soul under restraint, O Bharata, fasts, by abstaining from one of the two meals, on the fifth and the sixth days of the moon as also on the day of the full moon, becomes gifted with forgiveness and personal beauty and knowledge of scriptures. Such a person never becomes childless and poor.

He who celebrates sacrifices for worshipping the deities on the fifth and the sixth days of the moon, becomes superior to all the members of his family and succeeds in feeding a large number of Brahmanas. He who observes fasts on the eighth and the fourteenth days of the dark fortnight, becomes freed from diseases and possessed of great energy. The man who abstains from one meal every day throughout the month called Margashirsha, should, with respect and devotion, feed a number of Brahmanas. By so doing he becomes freed from all his sins. Such a man becomes gifted with prosperity, and all sorts of grain become his.

He becomes gifted with energy. In fact, such a person reaps profuse harvest from his fields, acquires great riches and much corn.

That man, O son of Kunti, who passes the whole month of Pausha abstaining every day from one of two meals, becomes a gainer of good fortune and pleasant features and great fame.

He who passes the whole month of Magha, abstaining every day from one of the two mcals, is born in a high family and attains to a position of eminence among his kinsmen.

He who passes the whole month of Bhagadaivata, confining himself every day to only one meal, becomes a favourite with women who, indeed, readily acknowledge his sway.

He who passes the whole of the month of Chaitra, taking every day one meal only, is born in high family and becomes rich in gold, gems, and pearls.

The person, whether male or female, who passes the month of Baishakha, taking himself or herself every day one meal, and keeping his or her senses under restraint, succeeds in attaining to a position of eminence among kinsmen.

The person who passes the month of Jaishthya taking himself every day one meal, succeeds in acquiring a position of eminence and great riches. If a woman, she reaps the same reward.

He who passes the month of Ashada, taking himself one meal a day and with senses steadily concentrated upon his duties, becomes possessed of much corn, great riches and large progeny.

He who passes the month of Sravana, taking himself one meal a day receives the honors of Abhisheka wherever he may happen to live, and attains to a position of eminence among kinsmen whom he supports.

That man who takes himself only one meal a day for the whole month of Proshthapada, becomes possessed of great riches.

The man who passes the month of Ashvin, taking himself one meal a day, becomes pure in soul and body, possessed of many animals and vehicles and large progeny.

He who passes the month of Kartika, taking himself one meal every day, becomes possessed of heroism, many wives and great fame.

I have now told you, O king, what the fruits are that are obtained by men by observing fasts for the two and ten months in detail. Listen now, O king, to me as I tell you what the rules are about the lunar days.

The man who, abstaining from it every day, takes rice at the termination of every fortnight becomes possessed of a great many kine, a large progeny, and a long life.

He whọ observes fasts for three nights every month and acts thus for two and ten years, acquires a position of eminence among his kinsmen and friends, without a rival to contest his claim and without any anxiety caused by any one trying to rise to the same height.

These rules which I speak of, O chief of Bharata's race, should be observed for twelve years. Be disposed to do it.

That man who eats once in the forenoon and once after evening and abstains from drinking at the interval, and who shows mercy towards all creatures, and pours libations of clarified butter on his sacred fire every day, acquires success, O king, in six years. There is no doubt in this. Such a man acquires the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.

Gifted with merit and freed from every sort of stain, he acquires the region of the Apsaras which echo with the sound of songs and dance, and passes his days in the company of a thousand highly beautiful ladies.

He rides on a car of the colour of melted gold and receives great honours in the region of Brahma.

After the exhaustion of that merit, such a person returns to Earth and acquires elevated position. That man who passes one whole year, taking himself every day only one meal, acquires the merit of the Atiratra sacrifice. He ascends to Heaven after death and receives great honours there.

Upon the termination of that merit he returns to the Earth and acquires a position of eminence. He who passes one whole year fasting for three days in succession and taking food on every fourth day, and abstaining from injury from every sort, adhering to truthfulness of speech, and keeping his senses under control, acquires the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.

Such a person ascends to Heaven after death and receives great honours there. That man, O son of Kunti, who passes a whole year observing fasts for five days and taking food on only the sixth day, gains the merit of Horse sacrifice. The chariot he rides, is drawn by Chakravakas.

Such a man enjoys every kind of happiness in Heaven for full forty thousand years. He who passes a whole year observing fasts for seven days and taking food on only every eighth day, gains the merit of the Gavamaya sacrifice. The chariot he rides, is drawn by swans and cranes.

Such a person enjoys all kinds of happiness in Heaven for fifty thousand years. He who passes a whole year, o king, taking food only at intervals of a fortnight, gains the merit of a continuous fast for six months. This has been said by the illustrious Angirasa himself. Such a man Lives in Heaven for sixty thousand years.

He is roused every morning from his bed by the sweet notes of Vinas and Vallakis and flutes, O king.

He who passes a whole year, drinking only a little water at the termination of every month, acquires, O king, the merit of the Vishvajit sacrifice.

Such a man rides a chariot drawn by lions and tigers. He lives in Heaven for seventy thousand years in the enjoyment of every sort of happiness.

No fast for more than a month, O king, has been ordained. Even this, O son of Pritha, is the ordinance about fasts that has been declared by sages conversant with duties.

That man who, unafflicted by discase and free from every malady, observes a fast, indeed acquires, at every step the merits of Sacrifices.

Such a man ascends to Heaven on a car drawn by swans. Gifted with power, he enjoys every sort of happiness in Heaven for a hundred years.

A hundred Apsaras of the most beautiful features, wait upon, and sport with him.

He is roused from his bed every morning by the sound of the Kanchis and the Nupuras of those ladies.

Such a person rides on a car drawn by a thousand swans. Living, again, in a region teeming with hundreds of the most beautiful ladies, he passes his time in great joy.

The person who seeks Heaven, does not want strength when he becomes weak, or the cure of wounds when he is wounded, or the administration of medicine when he is ill, or soothings, by others when he is angry, or the mitigation, by the expenditure of money, of sorrows caused by poverty.

Leaving this world, where he suffers all sorts of privations, he proceeds to Heaven and rides on cars bedecked with gold, his body adorned with all sorts of ornaments. There in the midst of hundreds of beautiful ladies, he enjoys all sorts of pleasure and happiness, cleansed of every sin.

Indeed, abstaining from food and enjoyments in this world, he renounces this body and ascends to Heaven as the fruit of his penances, There purged of all his sins, he enjoys health and happiness and all his wishes become crowned with success.

Such a person rides on a celestials car of golden colour, effulgent like the morning sun, set with pearls and lapis lazuli, resounding with the music of Vinas and Murajas, adorned with banners and lamps, and echoing with the sounds of celestial bells.

Such a person enjoys all sorts of happiness in Heaven for as many years as there are pores in his body.

There is no Shastra superior to the Veda. There is no person more worthy of respect than the mother. There is no acquisition superior to that of virtue, and no penance superior to fast.

There is nothing, more sacred, in Heaven or Earth, than Brahmanas. Similarly there is no penance that is superior to the observance of fasts.

It was by fasts that the celestials have succeeded in becoming dwellers of Heaven. It is by fasts that the Rishis have acquired high success.

Vishvamitra passed a thousand celestial years, taking one meal a day, and as the consequence thereof acquired the status of a Brahmana.

Chyavana, Jamadagni, Vasishtha, Gautama and Bhriguall these great Rishis gifted with the virtue of forgivenesshave attained to Heaven through the observance of fasts.

Forinerly Angirasa declared so to the great Rishis. The man who teaches another the merit of fasts, has never to suffer any sort of misery.

The ordinances about fasts, in their due order, O son of Kunti, have originated from the great Rishi Angirasa. The man who daily reads these ordinances or hears them read, becomes freed from all sins.

Not only is such a person freed from every calamity, but his mind rises above all sorts of shortcomings. Such a person succeeds in understanding the sounds of all creatures other than human, and acquiring eternal fame, becomes the foremost of men.