Shloka 11
यज्ञेऽहिंसा-प्राधान्यम्
Primacy of Non-Harm in Sacrificial Ethics
यज्ञियाश्रैव ये वृक्षा वेदेषु परिकल्पिता:
yajñiyāś caiva ye vṛkṣā vedesu parikalpitāḥ | vedokteṣu yajñeṣu teṣām eva viniyogaḥ kartavyaḥ | śuddhācāra-vicārā mahā-sattva-guṇāḥ puruṣāḥ sva-viśuddha-bhāvanayā prokṣaṇādibhiḥ saṃskṛtya yat kiṃcid haviṣyaṃ naivedyaṃ vā kalpayanti, tat sarvaṃ devatābhyo 'rpaṇīyam eva bhavati ||
Bhishma says: The trees prescribed in the Vedas as fit for sacrificial use should alone be employed in Vedic rites. Moreover, when men of pure conduct and thought—endowed with a lofty, sāttvika disposition—prepare any oblation or offering after performing proper purificatory acts such as sprinkling and other consecrations, that entire preparation becomes worthy to be presented to the gods. The teaching emphasizes that ritual correctness is joined to inner purity: the material must be Veda-sanctioned, and the offering becomes truly fit through disciplined conduct and sanctifying intention.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That offerings become truly fit for the gods when two conditions are met: (1) the materials (such as sacrificial wood) conform to Vedic prescription, and (2) the performer’s conduct, thought, and intention are purified and the offering is consecrated through proper rites like prokṣaṇa.
In Bhishma’s instruction during the Śānti Parva, he lays down norms for sacrificial practice, stressing both scriptural correctness in selecting ritual materials and the ethical-spiritual purity of the person preparing oblations and food offerings.