Shloka 12
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
यतक्षायं प्रभवति प्रेत्य यत्र च गच्छति । वेदैष मार्ग स्वर्गस्य तथैव नरकस्य च
yat kṣayāyaṁ prabhavati pretya yatra ca gacchati | vedaiṣa mārgaḥ svargasya tathaiva narakasya ca ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Le principe d’où un être surgit et vers lequel il s’en va après la mort—ainsi que la voie védique qui mène au ciel et, de même, celle qui mène à l’enfer—tout cela doit être connu par les Veda. Dans cet enseignement, Bhīṣma souligne que la véritable excellence consiste à connaître le dharma et à vivre selon lui, car cette connaissance guide l’origine, la conduite et la destination ultime. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that the Veda is the authoritative guide to understanding a being’s origin and post-death destination, and to discerning the moral pathways that lead to heaven (svarga) or hell (naraka). Ethical living is therefore inseparable from right knowledge of dharma.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma. Here he frames the discussion in terms of ultimate outcomes—where one comes from and where one goes after death—linking these to Vedic knowledge of the paths of merit and demerit.