Shloka 27
प्रतिग्रहभेदः — The Distinction between Giving and Accepting
Vṛṣādarbhī–Saptarṣi Dialogue
देवास्तु पितरो नाम निर्मिता ये स्वयम्भुवा । उष्णपा ये महाभागास्तेषां भाग: प्रकल्पित:
devāstu pitaro nāma nirmitā ye svayambhuvā | uṣṇapā ye mahābhāgāsteṣāṃ bhāgaḥ prakalpitaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Certains êtres divins, engendrés par Svayambhū (le Créateur auto-né), sont connus sous le nom de “Pitṛs” (les Ancêtres). Ces Pitṛs illustres sont aussi appelés Uṣṇapā. Pour eux, Svayambhū a dûment fixé une part particulière dans les offrandes du śrāddha—attestant qu’honorer les ancêtres est un devoir consacré par le dharma.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That honoring the Pitṛs through śrāddha is not optional sentiment but a dharmically authorized obligation: the Creator himself has assigned the Pitṛs their rightful share in offerings.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he identifies a class of beings called the Pitṛs—also termed Uṣṇapā—and explains their divine origin and their formally prescribed portion in śrāddha rites.