Shloka 4
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
श्राद्धे त्वथ महाराज परीक्षेद् ब्राह्मणान् बुध: । कुलशीलवयोरूपैर्विद्ययाभिजनेन च
śrāddhe tv atha mahārāja parīkṣed brāhmaṇān budhaḥ | kulaśīlavayorūpair vidyayābhijanena ca ||
Bhīṣma said: “At the time of a śrāddha, O great king, a wise man should examine the brāhmaṇas—considering their family lineage, good conduct, age, personal appearance, learning, and noble birth. For in rites offered to the ancestors, discernment in choosing worthy recipients safeguards the sanctity of the offering and upholds dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In śrāddha (ancestral rites), one should act with discernment: the recipients of offerings should be examined for lineage, conduct, maturity, learning, and respectable background, so that the rite remains dharmic and spiritually efficacious.
Bhīṣma is instructing King Yudhiṣṭhira in Anuśāsana Parva on proper religious conduct. Here he gives practical guidance about performing śrāddha—specifically, how to assess the suitability of brāhmaṇas who are to be honored and fed in the rite.