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.
भीष्म उवाच इदं खलु मया राजन् श्रुतमासीत् पुरातनम्। उपवासविधौ श्रेष्ठा गुणा ये भरतर्षभ॥