Shloka 14
कुण्डधारोपाख्यानम्
Kuṇḍadhāra-Upākhyāna: Dharma’s Superiority over Wealth and Desire
अश्रद्दधान एवैको देवानां नाते हवि: । तस्यैवान्नं न भोक्तव्यमिति धर्मविदो विदु:
aśraddadhāna evaiko devānāṃ nāte haviḥ | tasyaivānnaṃ na bhoktavyam iti dharmavido viduḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : Si un homme, seul et dépourvu de śraddhā (foi révérencielle), offre une oblation (havis) qui n’est pas véritablement destinée aux dieux, alors les sages qui connaissent le dharma déclarent que même la nourriture appartenant à cet homme ne doit pas être consommée. L’enseignement souligne qu’un rite sans śraddhā est moralement creux, et qu’accepter sa nourriture peut signifier prendre part à l’impureté de son intention.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual action (like offering haviḥ) is ethically valid only when grounded in śraddhā and proper intention toward the devas; when faith is absent, the act is considered defective, and even accepting the person’s food is discouraged because it signifies association with that flawed disposition.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he cites the view of dharma-knowers that offerings made without faith are not truly ‘for the gods,’ and therefore one should avoid partaking of the food of such a faithless performer.