Shloka 40
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
तारयेत कुलं सर्वमेको5पीह द्विजोत्तम: । किमज़ पुनरेवैते तस्मात् पात्रं समाचरेत्
tārayet kulaṁ sarvam eko 'pīha dvijottamaḥ | kim aṅga punar evaite tasmāt pātraṁ samācaret || (tṛpte tṛptāḥ sarve devāḥ pitaro munayo 'pi ca) ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Schon ein einziger vortrefflicher Brāhmaṇa hier kann eine ganze Linie erlösen. Wie viel mehr erst, wenn viele solche Brāhmaṇas zugegen sind! Darum soll man sorgfältig nach einem würdigen Empfänger suchen und ihn ehren. Ist ein solcher Mensch zufrieden, so gelten auch alle Götter, die Ahnen und die Weisen als zufrieden.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that in śrāddha and gifting, the ethical focus should be on choosing a truly worthy recipient (pātra). The merit of the rite is amplified by the recipient’s worthiness: satisfying such a brāhmaṇa is treated as satisfying the gods, ancestors, and sages, thereby benefiting the whole lineage.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, including the conduct and efficacy of śrāddha. Here he emphasizes that even one exemplary brāhmaṇa can ‘save’ a family line through proper reception of offerings, so one must diligently seek a fit person for the rite.