Shloka 25
Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation
प्रजा: पशुंश्व स्वर्ग च हन्ति यज्ञो हादक्षिण: । इन्द्रियाणि यश: कीर्तिमायुश्नाप्पवकृन्तति
prajāḥ paśūṃś ca svargaṃ ca hanti yajño hy adakṣiṇaḥ | indriyāṇi yaśaḥ kīrtim āyuś cāpi apavakṛntati ||
Bhishma said: A sacrifice performed without the proper gift-fee (dakṣiṇā) destroys the welfare of the people and the prosperity of cattle, and it also obstructs the attainment of heaven. Not only that—it diminishes one’s vigor of the senses, reputation, fame, and even lifespan. The ethical point is that ritual divorced from rightful giving becomes harmful rather than meritorious.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A yajña must include rightful giving (dakṣiṇā). When ritual is performed without proper generosity and obligation, it becomes ethically defective and yields harmful consequences—loss of social welfare, merit, and personal vitality.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about the proper conduct and fruits of sacrifice. Here he warns that a sacrifice lacking dakṣiṇā does not produce heavenward merit and instead damages both the community’s well-being and the performer’s own standing and life-force.