Shloka 19
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
सात्वतं विधिमास्थाय प्राक् सूर्यमुखनि:सृतम् । पूजयामास देवेशं तच्छेषेण पितामहान्
sātvataṁ vidhim āsthāya prāk sūryamukha-niḥsṛtam | pūjayāmāsa deveśaṁ taccheṣeṇa pitāmahān ||
Bhishma said: Adopting the Sātvata (Vaiṣṇava) rite—said to have first issued forth from the Sun’s mouth—he would first worship the Lord of the gods, Nārāyaṇa. Then, with what remained from that worship, he would honor the Pitṛs (ancestors); with what remained from the offerings to the Pitṛs, he would duly honor the Brāhmaṇas and other dependents, distributing to each in proper order. Only after giving to all would he eat what food was left. He was devoted to truth and did not harm any living being.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches an ethical order of living: begin with devotion to Nārāyaṇa, then honor ancestors and Brāhmaṇas, support dependents, and only then partake oneself—while remaining truthful and non-violent. It presents dharma as disciplined worship, responsible distribution, and restraint.
Bhīṣma describes the conduct of an exemplary person who follows the Sātvata (Vaiṣṇava) ritual system. He worships the Lord first, then uses the remnants of offerings in a graded sequence—Pitṛs, Brāhmaṇas, and others—before eating what remains, embodying satya and ahiṁsā.