Shloka 38
Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)
ते यद् ब्रूयुर्महाप्राज्ञास्तच्चैव समुदाचर । ततो वसिष्ठ देवर्षिमगस्त्यमथ काश्यपम्
te yad brūyur mahāprājñās tac caiva samudācara | tato vasiṣṭhaṃ devarṣim agastyam atha kāśyapaṃ, kena vā karmayogena pradānena iha kena vā ||
Bhishma dit : «Tout ce que ces sages rishis, grands et clairvoyants, te diront, fais-le exactement : mets-le en œuvre.» Ensuite, l’illustre fils de Bhṛgu, Parashurama, s’approcha du voyant divin Vasiṣṭha, ainsi que d’Agastya et de Kāśyapa, et demanda : «Ô premiers des brahmanes, je veux être purifié. Dites-moi : par quelle discipline de l’action, ou par quel don fait en ce monde, obtient-on la pureté ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should humbly follow the guidance of truly wise sages, and seek purification through disciplined right action (karmayoga) and/or charitable giving (dāna), treating both as ethical means of inner cleansing.
Bhishma advises adherence to the counsel of great sages. Then Paraśurāma approaches eminent rishis—Vasiṣṭha, Agastya, and Kāśyapa (with Nārada also noted in the prose)—and asks what practices or gifts can purify him.