Shloka 216
Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation
परिवेष्टाग्निहोत्रस्य भवेन्नासंस्कृतस्तथा । न कन्या, न युवती, न मन्त्र न जाननेवाला, न मूर्ख और न संस्कारहीन पुरुष ही अग्निमें हवन करनेका अधिकारी है
pariveṣṭāgnihotrasya bhavennāsaṁskṛtastathā |
Bhīṣma said: In performing the Agnihotra and its attendant rites, one who is uninitiated or untrained is likewise unfit. Whoever lacks the required eligibility—such as a girl or an unmarried young woman, one who does not know the mantras, a fool, or a man without the prescribed sacraments—should not undertake offerings into the sacred fire. The teaching underscores that Vedic ritual is an ethical discipline requiring training, purity, and competence, not mere impulse or display.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual action (like Agnihotra) is governed by dharma: it requires proper preparation—initiation/saṁskāra, knowledge of mantras, and maturity/competence. Without these, performing offerings is considered improper and spiritually/ritually invalid.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira about right conduct. Here he specifies qualifications for Vedic fire-rituals, warning that those lacking training or refinement should not perform havan/Agnihotra.