Shloka 33
उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel
ऋषिणा पितृकार्ये च स च धर्मपथे स्थित: । पितृकार्ये कृते चापि विसृष्ट: स जगाम ह,ऋषिके द्वारा पितृकार्य विधिवत् सम्पन्न हो जानेपर वे ऋषि शूद्रसे विदा लेकर चले गये और वह शाद्र धर्ममार्गमें स्थित हो गया
ṛṣiṇā pitṛkārye ca sa ca dharmapathe sthitaḥ | pitṛkārye kṛte cāpi visṛṣṭaḥ sa jagāma ha ||
Bhīṣma said: The sage duly carried out the ancestral rite, and that man remained established on the path of dharma. When the rite for the ancestors had been completed, the sage, having taken leave, departed; and the Śūdra too continued steadfastly in righteous conduct.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That fulfilling one’s prescribed duties—especially obligations to the ancestors—and remaining steady on the path of dharma is ethically praiseworthy; proper completion of rites and respectful leave-taking are also part of righteous conduct.
A sage completes the required ancestral rite (pitṛkārya). After the rite is properly finished, he is respectfully dismissed and departs; the Śūdra mentioned in the contextual tradition remains established in dharma thereafter.