Shloka 76

पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient

Devanagari script

देवाक्षाप्यस्य नाश्नन्ति पापस्य ब्राह्मुणद्विष: । ब्राह्मण जिसका अन्न नहीं खाते उसके अन्नको पितर भी नहीं स्वीकार करते। उस ब्राह्मणद्रोही पापात्माका अन्न देवता भी नहीं ग्रहण करते हैं

Transliteration

devāḥ kṣāpy asya nāśnanti pāpasya brāhmaṇadviṣaḥ |

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Selbst die Götter nehmen die Sühneopfer eines Sünders nicht an, der Hass gegen die Brāhmaṇas hegt. Wessen Speise die Brāhmaṇas nicht essen, dessen Speise nehmen auch die Pitṛs, die Ahnen, nicht an. Die Nahrung und die Opfergaben dieses frevelhaften Feindes der Brāhmaṇas werden auch von den Göttern nicht empfangen.“

Word by Word

देवाःthe gods

अक्षापिthe dice (also)

अस्यof him / of this person

नnot

अश्नन्तिeat / partake

पापस्यof sin / of the sinful (act/thing)

ब्राह्मणद्विषःa hater of Brahmins

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

devāḥ (the gods)

brāhmaṇa (brāhmaṇas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Hostility toward brāhmaṇas undermines dharma so deeply that even expiatory rites lose efficacy; divine acceptance of offerings depends not only on ritual form but also on ethical disposition, especially reverence toward those who uphold Vedic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and proper conduct. Here he warns that a brāhmaṇa-hater is spiritually disqualified: the gods do not partake of his expiations/offerings, indicating the collapse of his religious merit.