Shloka 2
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणान् न परीक्षेत क्षत्रियो दानधर्मवित् | दैवे कर्मणि पित्र्ये तु न्यायमाहुः परीक्षणम्
bhīṣma uvāca brāhmaṇān na parīkṣeta kṣatriyo dānadharmavit | daive karmaṇi pitrye tu nyāyam āhuḥ parīkṣaṇam ||
Bhishma dijo: «Oh rey, un kshatriya que conoce el dharma del dar no debe poner a prueba a los brahmanes en los ritos destinados a los dioses (como sacrificios y ofrendas). Pero en los ritos destinados a los antepasados (śrāddha y deberes afines), examinarlos se considera justo y apropiado».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes between two ritual domains: in god-centered rites (yajña etc.) a patron-king should not ‘test’ Brahmins, whereas in ancestor rites (śrāddha) scrutiny is considered appropriate—implying greater concern for eligibility and purity in pitṛ-karmas.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), he lays down a rule of conduct for Kshatriya patrons regarding how they should relate to Brahmin officiants in different kinds of rituals—prohibiting examination in daiva rites but permitting it in pitṛ rites.