Shloka 24
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
इमे तु भरतश्रेष्ठ विज्ञेया: पंक्तिपावना: | ये त्वतस्तान् प्रवक्ष्यामि परीक्षस्वेह तान् द्विजान्
ime tu bharataśreṣṭha vijñeyāḥ paṅktipāvanāḥ | ye tvatas tān pravakṣyāmi parīkṣasveha tān dvijān ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Ô le meilleur des Bhārata, ceux-ci doivent être reconnus comme des purificateurs de la rangée du repas (pāṅkti-pāvana) : leur présence sanctifie le repas partagé. À présent je te dirai qui ils sont — examine ici et distingue ces brāhmanes. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes discernment in matters of ritual-social purity: not everyone called a brāhmaṇa is automatically fit to sanctify communal rites like shared dining; one must know the criteria and examine conduct and qualifications.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he introduces a forthcoming list/criteria of ‘paṅktipāvana’ persons—those whose presence purifies a dining row—and urges Yudhiṣṭhira to evaluate and recognize such dvijas.