Shloka 12
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
यावन्त: पतिता विप्रा जडोन्मत्तास्तथैव च । दैवे वाप्यथ पित्रये वा राजन् ना्हन्ति केतनम्
yāvantaḥ patitā viprā jaḍonmattās tathaiva ca | daive vāpy atha pitrye vā rājan nārhanti ketanam ||
Bhīṣma said: “O King, as many brāhmaṇas as have fallen from right conduct, or have become dull-witted, or deranged—such persons are not fit to be invited for rites meant for the gods or for the ancestors (Pitṛs). Now hear what is taught about examining a brāhmaṇa when giving gifts and food.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that ritual invitations for divine and ancestral ceremonies should be given only to brāhmaṇas who are fit in conduct and capacity; those who are fallen from dharma, or incapable due to dullness or madness, are not appropriate recipients for such formal rites.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he introduces guidance on how to assess a brāhmaṇa when offering gifts and food, first stating who is disqualified from being invited to daiva and pitṛ rites.