Shloka 276
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
प्रजा विवर्धते चास्य अक्षयं चोपतिष्ठति । यही श्राद्धकी विधि बतायी गयी है
prajā vivardhate cāsya akṣayaṃ copatiṣṭhati |
Bhīṣma sprach: Wer diesem vorgeschriebenen śrāddha-Ritus folgt, dessen Geschlecht gedeiht, und unerschöpflicher Wohlstand steht ihm zur Seite. Eine solche Befolgung verhindert den Niedergang des Dharma; sie hält die Pitṛs, die Ahnen, stets erfreut und zufrieden und gewährleistet, dass seine Nachkommenschaft ohne Minderung wächst.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Proper performance of śrāddha according to prescribed rules sustains dharma, pleases the ancestors, and yields enduring welfare—especially the growth and continuity of one’s progeny and unfailing support in life.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma, here emphasizing the results of correctly observing śrāddha: ancestral satisfaction, preservation of righteousness, and the flourishing of one’s lineage with imperishable benefit.