Shloka 22
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
तिलैरविरहितं श्राद्ध कृतं क्रोधवशेन च । यातुधाना: पिशाचाश्न विप्रलुम्पन्ति तद्धवि:
tilair avirahitaṁ śrāddhaṁ kṛtaṁ krodhavaśena ca | yātudhānāḥ piśācāś ca vipralumpanti tad dhaviḥ ||
Bhīṣma dijo: Un śrāddha realizado sin semillas de sésamo (tilā), o realizado bajo el dominio de la ira, no alcanza su propósito sagrado; la ofrenda (havis) es arrebatada y corrompida por seres malévolos—yātudhānas y piśācas. La enseñanza es que los ritos para los antepasados deben hacerse con los elementos apropiados y, sobre todo, con una mente serena y reverente, no con hostilidad ni agitación.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Śrāddha should be performed with the prescribed elements (notably tila) and with inner composure. If done carelessly—especially in anger—the rite becomes vulnerable to obstruction and is considered fruitless, symbolically described as the offering being taken by yātudhānas and piśācas.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira the proper conduct of śrāddha. Here he warns that omissions (like lack of sesame) and a disturbed mental state (anger) undermine the rite, portrayed as malevolent beings spoiling the havis.