Shloka 16
प्रतिग्रहभेदः — The Distinction between Giving and Accepting
Vṛṣādarbhī–Saptarṣi Dialogue
तत् कृत्वा स मुनिश्रेष्ठो धर्मसंकरमात्मन: । पश्चात्तापेन महता तप्यमानो<5भ्यचिन्तयत्
tat kṛtvā sa muniśreṣṭho dharmasaṅkaram ātmanaḥ | paścāttāpena mahatā tapyamāno 'bhyacintayat ||
Habiendo realizado aquel śrāddha, Nimi, el más excelso de los sabios, juzgó que había provocado en sí una confusión del dharma, pensando: «El Veda prescribe el śrāddha para el padre, el abuelo y otros; pero yo, por mi propia voluntad, lo he hecho para mi hijo». Consumido por un gran remordimiento, comenzó entonces a reflexionar así.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a well-intended ritual act can become ethically problematic if it departs from established śāstric injunctions; recognizing such deviation, one should engage in honest self-scrutiny and repentance rather than self-justification.
After performing a śrāddha intended for his son, the sage Nimi realizes that the Vedic rule traditionally directs such rites toward ancestors (father, grandfather, etc.). Feeling he has created a ‘dharma-confusion’ by acting on personal choice, he is overwhelmed with remorse and begins to deliberate on what to do next.