Shloka 5
अध्याय १३२ — कर्मणा मनसा वाचा: स्वर्गमार्गः तथा आयुर्विपाकः
Adhyāya 132 — The path to heaven through deed, mind, and speech; karmic results for lifespan
हव्यं न तस्य देवाश्च प्रतिगृह्नन्ति पर्वसु । कुप्यन्ते पितरश्चास्य कुले वंशो5स्य हीयते
havyaṃ na tasya devāś ca pratigṛhṇanti parvasu | kupyante pitaraś cāsya kule vaṃśo 'sya hīyate ||
Bhishma sprach: „An heiligen Festtagen nehmen die Götter die Opfergaben (havis), die ein solcher Mensch darbringt, nicht an. Auch seine Ahnen werden unzufrieden, und in seiner Familie geht die Linie zurück.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual acts are not merely external: when one’s conduct violates dharma, offerings lose their efficacy—gods do not accept them, ancestors are displeased, and the consequence manifests as decline of family continuity and welfare.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he warns Yudhishthira about the spiritual and social repercussions of a certain unrighteous type of person: even if such a person performs sacrifices on holy days, the offerings are rejected, the ancestors become angry, and the family line deteriorates.