Shloka 7
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
ब्राह्मणान् भरतश्रेष्ठ सततं ब्रह्म॒ुवादिन: । मार्कण्डेय: पुरा प्राह इति लोकेषु बुद्धिमान् ७ ।। भरतमश्रेष्ठ! बुद्धिमान मार्कण्डेयजीने बहुत पहलेसे ही यह बता रखा है कि श्राद्धमें सदा वेदवेत्ता ब्राह्मणोंको ही निमन्त्रित करना चाहिये (क्योंकि उसकी सिद्धि सुपात्र ब्राह्मणके ही अधीन है)
brāhmaṇān bharataśreṣṭha satataṁ brahmavādinaḥ | mārkaṇḍeyaḥ purā prāha iti lokeṣu buddhimān || 7 ||
Bhishma said: “O best of the Bharatas, one should always invite Brahmins devoted to the teaching of Brahman (true Vedic knowers). The wise sage Markandeya declared this long ago, and it is accepted among people.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual acts—especially śrāddha—should be performed with discernment in choosing recipients: invite Brahmins who are brahmavādins (genuine Vedic knowers/teachers), because the rite’s efficacy is tied to the worthiness and integrity of those honoured.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as ‘best of the Bharatas’) and supports his guidance by citing the ancient authority of the sage Mārkaṇḍeya, noting that this principle is widely accepted.