Shloka 2
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणान् न परीक्षेत क्षत्रियो दानधर्मवित् | दैवे कर्मणि पित्र्ये तु न्यायमाहुः परीक्षणम्
bhīṣma uvāca brāhmaṇān na parīkṣeta kṣatriyo dānadharmavit | daive karmaṇi pitrye tu nyāyam āhuḥ parīkṣaṇam ||
Bhishma dit : «Ô roi, un kshatriya qui connaît le dharma du don ne doit pas mettre les brahmanes à l’épreuve dans les rites destinés aux dieux (tels que sacrifices et offrandes). Mais dans les rites destinés aux ancêtres (śrāddha et devoirs connexes), les examiner est tenu pour juste et convenable.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes between two ritual domains: in god-centered rites (yajña etc.) a patron-king should not ‘test’ Brahmins, whereas in ancestor rites (śrāddha) scrutiny is considered appropriate—implying greater concern for eligibility and purity in pitṛ-karmas.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), he lays down a rule of conduct for Kshatriya patrons regarding how they should relate to Brahmin officiants in different kinds of rituals—prohibiting examination in daiva rites but permitting it in pitṛ rites.