Shloka 31
अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā
अवेदानामयज्ञानामलोकानामवर्तिनाम् | कस्तेषां जीवितेनार्थस्त्वां विना ब्राह्मणाश्रयम्
avedānāmayajñānāmalokānām avartinām | kas teṣāṁ jīvitena arthaḥ tvāṁ vinā brāhmaṇāśrayam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Pour ceux qui sont sans Veda, sans sacrifices, et qui ne demeurent pas dans l’ordre moral convenable, à quoi sert leur vie même—surtout lorsqu’ils sont privés de toi, refuge et appui des brāhmaṇa ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Life gains moral purpose through adherence to Vedic learning, sacrificial duty, and right conduct; without these—and without a righteous protector who serves as a refuge for brāhmaṇas—mere living is portrayed as empty of higher value.
Bhīṣma, in his instruction on dharma, addresses a respected figure (implicitly a protector of brāhmaṇas) and underscores that those who abandon Veda, yajña, and proper conduct have little meaningful aim in life, especially if they are deprived of such righteous support.