ses the month of
Sravana, confining himself to one meal a day, receives the honours of
Abhisheka wherever he may happen to reside, and attains to a position of
eminence among kinsmen whom he supports. That man who confines himself to
only one meal a day for the whole month of Proshthapada, becomes endued
with great wealth and attains to swelling and durable affluence. The man
who passes the month of Aswin, confining himself to one meal a day,
becomes pure in soul and body, possessed of animals and vehicles in
abundance, and a large progeny. He who passes the month of Kartika,
confining himself to one meal every day, becomes possessed of heroism,
many spouses, and great fame. I have now told thee, O chief of men 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 thee what
the rules are in respect of each of the lunar days. The man who,
abstaining from it every day, takes rice at the expiration of every
fortnight, becomes possessed of a great many kine, a large progeny, and a
long life. He who observes a fast for three nights every month and
conducts himself thus for two and ten years, attains to a position of
supremacy among his kinsmen and associates, without a rival to contest
his claim and without any anxiety caused by any one endeavouring to rise
to the same height. These rules that I speak of, O chief of Bharata's
race, should be observed for two and ten years. Let the inclination be
manifested towards it. That man who eats once in the forenoon and once
after evening and abstains from drinking (or eating anything) in the
interval, and who observes compassion, towards all creatures and pours
libations of clarified butter on his sacred fire every day, attains to
success, O king, in six years. There is no doubt in this. Such a man
earns the merit that attaches to the performance of the Agnishtoma
sacrifice. Endued with merit and freed from every kind of stain, he
attains to the region of the Apsaras that echo with the sound of songs
and dance, and passes his days in the company of a thousand damsels of
great beauty. He rides on a car of the complexion of melted gold and
receives high honours in the region of Brahma. After the exhaustion of
that merit such a person comes back to earth and attains to pre-eminence
of position. That man who passes one whole year, confining himself every
day to only one meal, attains to the merit of the Ati