Shloka 19
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
सात्वतं विधिमास्थाय प्राक् सूर्यमुखनि:सृतम् । पूजयामास देवेशं तच्छेषेण पितामहान्
sātvataṁ vidhim āsthāya prāk sūryamukha-niḥsṛtam | pūjayāmāsa deveśaṁ taccheṣeṇa pitāmahān ||
Bhishma sprach: Indem er den Sātvata‑Ritus (vaiṣṇavisch) befolgte—von dem man sagt, er sei einst zuerst aus dem Mund der Sonne hervorgegangen—verehrte er zunächst Nārāyaṇa, den Herrn der Götter. Dann ehrte er mit dem, was von dieser Verehrung übrig blieb, die Pitṛs (Ahnen); und mit dem, was nach den Ahnenopfern übrig blieb, ehrte er in rechter Ordnung die Brahmanen und andere von ihm Abhängige und teilte jedem gebührend zu. Erst nachdem er allen gegeben hatte, aß er die verbleibende Speise. Er war der Wahrheit zugetan und verletzte kein lebendes Wesen.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches an ethical order of living: begin with devotion to Nārāyaṇa, then honor ancestors and Brāhmaṇas, support dependents, and only then partake oneself—while remaining truthful and non-violent. It presents dharma as disciplined worship, responsible distribution, and restraint.
Bhīṣma describes the conduct of an exemplary person who follows the Sātvata (Vaiṣṇava) ritual system. He worships the Lord first, then uses the remnants of offerings in a graded sequence—Pitṛs, Brāhmaṇas, and others—before eating what remains, embodying satya and ahiṁsā.