Shloka 10
नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा
Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings
पितरश्न महाभागा ऋषयश्न तपोधना: । गृह्माश्व देवता: सर्वाः प्रीयन्ते विधिनार्चिता:
pitaraś ca mahābhāgā ṛṣayaś ca tapodhanāḥ | gṛhyāś ca devatāḥ sarvāḥ prīyante vidhinārcitāḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : Les Pitṛs bienheureux (esprits des ancêtres) et les ṛṣi ascètes, riches d’austérité, sont comblés; et toutes les divinités du foyer se réjouissent aussi lorsqu’on les honore selon la règle prescrite. Ainsi, l’homme instruit, après s’être baigné, présente de respectueuses salutations et accomplit des rites tels que le tarpaṇa (libation d’eau) pour les dieux et les autres, satisfaisant ces destinataires sacrés et maintenant l’ordre du dharma au sein de la maison.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Properly performed daily rites—especially bathing followed by reverent offerings like tarpaṇa—sustain dharma by pleasing gods, ancestors, and sages; ritual correctness (vidhi) and respectful intention are emphasized as ethical duties of a learned householder.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he explains to the listener that when one worships according to prescribed procedure, the Pitṛs, ṛṣis, and household deities become satisfied—highlighting the religious-social function of domestic worship and ancestral offerings.