Shloka 32
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
जिन्होंने पुण्य तीर्थोमें गोता लगानेके लिये श्रम--प्रयत्न किया है
bhīṣma uvāca | ye puṇya-tīrtheṣu nimajjanārthaṃ śrama-prayatnaṃ kṛtavantaḥ, veda-mantroccāraṇa-pūrvakam anekān yajñān anuṣṭhāya avabhṛtha-snānaṃ kṛtavantaḥ; ye krodha-rahitāś cañcalatā-rahitāḥ kṣamāśīlā mano-nigrahavantaḥ jitendriyāḥ sarva-bhūta-hitaiṣiṇaś ca, tān eva brāhmaṇān śrāddhe nimantrayitavyān || eteṣu dattam akṣayyam ete vai paṅkti-pāvanāḥ | ime pare mahā-bhāgā vijñeyāḥ paṅkti-pāvanāḥ ||
Bhishma said: Those Brahmins should be invited to a śrāddha who have borne the toil of bathing in sacred tīrthas; who have performed many sacrifices, preceded by the recitation of Vedic mantras and brought to completion with the concluding avabhṛtha bath; who are free from anger and fickleness, patient, self-restrained in mind, masters of the senses, and well-wishers of all beings. A gift given to such men becomes inexhaustible, for they are purifiers of the whole dining-row (paṅkti-pāvana). Besides these, there are other highly fortunate Brahmins also known as “purifiers of the row”; they too should be recognized in this same way as worthy recipients.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In śrāddha, the worthiness of invitees matters: those who combine Vedic-ritual accomplishment with ethical virtues—non-anger, steadiness, forgiveness, self-restraint, sense-control, and universal benevolence—make the offering ‘akṣayya’ (inexhaustible in merit) and are called paṅkti-pāvanas, purifying the entire dining line.
Bhishma is instructing (as a dharma-teacher) on the proper conduct of śrāddha rites, specifically identifying the kinds of Brahmins who should be invited and explaining why gifts to them yield enduring spiritual results.