Shloka 36
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
अपवर्गे तु वैश्यस्य श्राद्धकर्मणि भारत । अक्षय्यमभिधातव्यं स्वस्ति शूद्रस्य भारत
apavarge tu vaiśyasya śrāddhakarmaṇi bhārata | akṣayyam abhidhātavyaṃ svasti śūdrasya bhārata ||
Bhishma said: “O Bharata, at the conclusion of the Vaiśya’s śrāddha rites one should pronounce the benediction ‘akṣayyam’—‘may the offering be imperishable.’ At the conclusion of the Śūdra’s śrāddha, O Bharata, it is proper to utter ‘svasti’—‘may there be well-being.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual dharma includes the correct concluding benedictions: for a Vaiśya’s śrāddha one says ‘akṣayyam’ (may the merit/gift be imperishable), while for a Śūdra’s śrāddha one says ‘svasti’ (may there be auspicious well-being). Proper speech is treated as part of proper conduct.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira within the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma teachings, he specifies the appropriate closing utterances to be pronounced at the end of śrāddha ceremonies for different social groups, reflecting ritual convention and social duty.