Shloka 17
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
भीष्म उवाच आदिष्टिनो ये राजेन्द्र ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगा: । भुज्जते ब्रह्म॒कामाय व्रतलुप्ता भवन्ति ते
bhīṣma uvāca | ādiṣṭino ye rājendra brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ | bhuñjate brahmakāmāya vrataluptā bhavanti te ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „O König, jene Brahmanen, die ‘ādiṣṭin’ heißen — der Veden kundig und durch die Weisung des Lehrers gebunden, für eine festgesetzte Zeit Brahmacarya zu üben — wenn sie die śrāddha-Mahlzeit nur zu sich nehmen, um den Wunsch des Stifters zu erfüllen, den Brahmanen zu geben, dann wird ihr eigener Schwur beeinträchtigt. Die Schuld liegt beim Essenden, der die Zucht bricht, nicht bei der Absicht des Gebers.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A disciplined vow (vrata), especially brahmacarya under a teacher’s injunction, must not be compromised for social convenience. Even if a patron wishes to complete a rite by feeding Brahmins, the vow-holder must protect his own dharma; ethical responsibility is tied to one’s own observance, not merely to pleasing others.
Bhishma instructs the king about ritual and conduct: certain Brahmins (ādiṣṭin students under strict brahmacarya) should not eat in a śrāddha setting just to fulfill the patron’s desire to donate. If they do, their personal vow is considered lapsed—highlighting boundaries between donor’s rite and the recipient’s discipline.