Shloka 66
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
सर्वे ब्राह्मणमाविश्य सदान्नमुप भुठ्जते । सूर्य, चन्द्रमा, वायु, जल, पृथ्वी, आकाश और दिशा--इन सबके अधिष्ठाता देवता सदा ब्राह्मणके शरीरमें प्रवेश करके अन्न भोजन करते हैं
sarve brāhmaṇam āviśya sadā annam upabhuñjate | sūrya-candramā-vāyu-jala-pṛthvī-ākāśa-diśāṃ caiteṣām adhiṣṭhātṛ-devatāḥ sadā brāhmaṇasya śarīraṃ praviśya annam aśnanti ||
Bhīṣma said: “All these divine powers—those presiding over the sun, the moon, wind, water, earth, space, and the directions—continually enter into the body of a brāhmaṇa and partake of food. Thus, honoring and sustaining a brāhmaṇa through rightful giving and hospitality is not merely social courtesy but a dharmic act that reaches the cosmic order itself, for the deities are understood to be present within him as their living seat.”
भीष्म उवाच