Shloka 7
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
पितृणां परमं भोज्यं तिला: सृष्टा: स्वयम्भुवा । तिलदानेन वै तस्मात् पितृपक्ष: प्रमोदते
bhīṣma uvāca | pitṝṇāṃ paramaṃ bhojyaṃ tilāḥ sṛṣṭāḥ svayambhuvā | tiladānena vai tasmāt pitṛpakṣaḥ pramodate ||
Bhishma said: “Sesame seeds, created by the Self-born (Brahmā), are the supreme offering-food for the Pitṛs (ancestral spirits). Therefore, by gifting sesame, the season dedicated to the ancestors (Pitṛpakṣa) becomes a source of great satisfaction and joy for them.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sesame is presented as the most fitting offering for the ancestors; donating it during ancestral rites is a dharmic act that brings satisfaction to the Pitṛs, emphasizing sincerity and prescribed simplicity in ritual charity.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and gifts (dāna) within the Anuśāsana Parva, he explains the special ritual value of sesame in śrāddha-related observances, linking its cosmic origin (from Brahmā) to its efficacy for Pitṛs, especially in Pitṛpakṣa.