Shloka 10
Śrāddha-pravṛtti-kathana and Varjya-dravya-nirdeśa
Origin and Prohibitions in Śrāddha
आपो मूलं फलं॑ मांसमन्नं वापि पितृक्षये । यत् किंचिन्मधुसम्मिश्र॑ तदानन्त्याय कल्पते
āpo mūlaṁ phalaṁ māṁsam annaṁ vāpi pitṛkṣaye | yat kiñcin madhusammiśraṁ tad ānantyāya kalpate ||
Bhīṣma explique que, lors du rite ancestral accompli au temps de la commémoration des Pitṛs (pitṛkṣaya), toute offrande—eau, racines, fruits, viande ou mets cuits—mêlée au miel devient un don qui procure aux ancêtres une satisfaction durable. L’accent éthique porte sur la sincérité et la juste préparation des offrandes, afin d’honorer la lignée et de soutenir le dharma par la gratitude et le souvenir.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Offerings made for the ancestors, especially when prepared with care (here, mixed with honey), are said to yield long-lasting benefit; the verse underscores dharma as gratitude and responsible remembrance of one’s lineage through proper rites.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on duties and merits of rites; here he specifies that various foods and even water, when offered at pitṛkṣaya with honey, are considered especially efficacious for satisfying the Pitṛs.