Shloka 28
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
उदितास्तमितो यश्व तथैवास्तमितोदित: । अहिंस्नश्वाल्पदोषश्न स राजन् केतनक्षम:
uditāstamito yaśva tathaivāstamitoditaḥ | ahiṁsnaś cālpadoṣaś ca sa rājan ketanakṣamaḥ ||
Bhishma said: O King, a Brahmin whose worldly standing rises and falls—now exalted, now diminished, and again exalted—yet who harms no living being, is fit to be invited to the śrāddha rites even if he bears minor faults.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Non-violence and fundamental moral character outweigh fluctuating social status and minor personal faults when judging a person’s ritual worthiness—especially for being invited to śrāddha.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction to King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and proper conduct, he explains criteria for inviting a Brahmin to śrāddha, emphasizing ahiṁsā and basic integrity over external rise-and-fall in fortune.