Shloka 14
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
ये चैनमनुवर्तन्ते ते न यान्ति पराभवम् | नते प्रेत्य विनश्यन्ति गच्छन्ति न पराभवम्,जो लोग ब्राह्मणोंका अनुसरण करते हैं उनकी कभी पराजय नहीं होती तथा मृत्युके पश्चात् उनका पतन नहीं होता। वे अपमानको भी नहीं प्राप्त होते हैं
ye cainam anuvartante te na yānti parābhavam | na te pretya vinaśyanti gacchanti na parābhavam ||
Bhishma said: Those who follow and serve the Brahmins do not fall into defeat. Even after death they do not perish or decline; they do not come to dishonour, but proceed without downfall—protected by the merit born of reverence for dharma and its custodians.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Reverent adherence to Brahmins—seen as guardians and transmitters of dharma—protects one from worldly defeat and from post-mortem decline; honouring dharma’s custodians is presented as a source of lasting welfare.
In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he emphasizes the auspicious results of following Brahmins: freedom from disgrace in life and stability of one’s spiritual destiny after death.