Shloka 15
Jñāna-yoga and Karma-phala: Manu–Bṛhaspati on Akṣara and the Limits of Mantra
स्वदेशे परदेशे वा अतिथिं नोपवासयेत् । काम्यकर्मफलं लब्ध्वा गुरूणामुपपादयेत्
Bhīṣma uvāca: svadeśe paradeśe vā atithiṃ nopavāsayet | kāmyakarmaphalaṃ labdhvā gurūṇām upapādayet ||
Bhīṣma sprach: Ob im eigenen Land oder in der Fremde—man soll einen Gast, der ins Haus gekommen ist, nicht hungrig bleiben lassen. Und was immer man als Frucht begehrter, doch pflichtgemäßer Handlungen erlangt, soll man ehrerbietig den Älteren und Lehrern darbringen.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Two duties are emphasized: (1) atithi-dharma—never let a guest go unfed, regardless of place; and (2) guru-sevā—dedicate the gains from one’s result-seeking actions to one’s elders/teachers as an act of reverence and right conduct.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on household ethics, highlighting hospitality to guests and respectful offering to gurus as practical expressions of dharma.