Shloka 51
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
कव्यानि ज्ञाननिछेभ्य: प्रतिष्ठाप्पानि भारत । तत्र ये ब्राह्मणान् केचिन्न निन्दन्ति हि ते नरा:
kavyāni jñānaniṣṭhebhyaḥ pratiṣṭhāpyāni bhārata | tatra ye brāhmaṇān kecin na nindanti hi te narāḥ ||
Bhishma said: “O Bharata, offerings meant for the ancestral rite (śrāddha) should be duly placed before Brahmins who are firmly established in spiritual knowledge (jñāna). Those men who do not revile Brahmins are truly the worthy among people.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Śrāddha offerings should be given with discernment to Brahmins who are established in spiritual knowledge, and ethical speech is emphasized: refraining from disparaging Brahmins is presented as a mark of true nobility.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira in the Anushasana Parva, he lays down norms for ancestral rites and social-religious conduct, highlighting whom to honor with śrāddha food and praising those who avoid slander of Brahmins.