Shloka 2
श्रीशक्रसंवादः — The Dialogue of Śrī
Lakṣmī) and Śakra (Indra
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! व्रतयुक्त द्विजगण वेदोक्त सकामकर्मोंके फलकी इच्छासे हविष्यान्नका भोजन करते हैं, उनका यह काय उचित है या नहीं? ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | avedoktavratopetā bhuñjānāḥ kāryakāriṇaḥ | vedokteṣu ca bhuñjānā vratlubdhā yudhiṣṭhira ||
Bhishma said: “Yudhishthira, those who, taking up vows not sanctioned by the Veda, eat the ritual food (haviṣya) act merely by personal whim. And even those who eat within Veda-sanctioned observances—performing rites with desire for results—are to be regarded as ‘greedy for the fruits of vows’; bound to such craving, they remain tied to repeated worldly return.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes between (1) non-Vedic observances followed by mere personal preference and (2) Veda-sanctioned observances pursued with desire for results. He criticizes both: the first as arbitrary, the second as still binding when motivated by craving for fruits, thereby sustaining worldly bondage.
Yudhishthira asks whether Brahmins who eat haviṣya food seeking the fruits of Vedic desire-motivated rites are acting rightly. Bhishma replies that non-Vedic vow-eaters are self-willed, and even Vedic vow-eaters who are attached to results are ‘fruit-greedy,’ implying continued entanglement in saṃsāra.