Shloka 27
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
अथ तं॑ तापसं शूद्र: सो5ब्रवीद् भरतर्षभ । पितृकार्य करिष्यामि तत्र मेडनुग्रह॑ कुरुू,भरतश्रेष्ठ। एक दिन उस शूद्रने उन तपस्वी मुनिसे कहा--'मैं पितरोंका श्राद्ध करूँगा। आप उसमें मुझपर अनुग्रह कीजिये”
atha taṁ tāpasaṁ śūdraḥ so ’bravīd bharatarṣabha | pitṛkāryaṁ kariṣyāmi tatra me ’nugrahaṁ kuru bharataśreṣṭha ||
Then a Śūdra addressed that ascetic and said, “O bull among the Bharatas, I intend to perform the śrāddha, the rite owed to my ancestors (pitṛ). In that act, please show me your favor and support, O best of the Bharatas.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights pitṛ-dharma: performing one’s duty toward ancestors (pitṛkārya/śrāddha) with humility and by seeking the blessing of a spiritually disciplined person, implying that righteous intention and proper guidance sanctify ritual action.
In Bhīṣma’s narration, an unnamed Śūdra approaches an ascetic and requests his supportive blessing so that he may carry out the ancestral rite (pitṛkārya), framing the act as a serious moral obligation.