Shloka 17
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
भीष्म उवाच आदिष्टिनो ये राजेन्द्र ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगा: । भुज्जते ब्रह्म॒कामाय व्रतलुप्ता भवन्ति ते,भीष्मजीने कहा--राजेन्द्र! (जिन्हें गुरुने नियत वर्षोंतक ब्रह्मचर्य-व्रत पालन करनेका आदेश दे रखा है वे आदिष्टी कहलाते हैं।) ऐसे वेदके पारड़त आदिष्टी ब्राह्मण यदि यजमानकी ब्राह्मणको दान देनेकी इच्छापूर्तिके लिये श्राद्धमें भोजन करते हैं तो उनका अपना ही व्रत नष्ट हो जाता है (इससे दाताका दान दूषित नहीं होता है)-
bhīṣma uvāca | ādiṣṭino ye rājendra brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ | bhuñjate brahmakāmāya vrataluptā bhavanti te ||
Bhishma said: “O king, those Brahmins who are ‘ādiṣṭin’—learned in the Vedas and bound by a teacher’s injunction to observe brahmacarya for a fixed term—if they partake of the śrāddha meal merely to satisfy the patron’s wish to give (to Brahmins), then their own vow becomes impaired. The fault lies in the eater’s breach of discipline, not in the donor’s intention to give.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A disciplined vow (vrata), especially brahmacarya under a teacher’s injunction, must not be compromised for social convenience. Even if a patron wishes to complete a rite by feeding Brahmins, the vow-holder must protect his own dharma; ethical responsibility is tied to one’s own observance, not merely to pleasing others.
Bhishma instructs the king about ritual and conduct: certain Brahmins (ādiṣṭin students under strict brahmacarya) should not eat in a śrāddha setting just to fulfill the patron’s desire to donate. If they do, their personal vow is considered lapsed—highlighting boundaries between donor’s rite and the recipient’s discipline.