Shloka 38
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
तस्माच्छूद्र: पाकयज्जैर्यजेताव्रतवान् स्वयम् । पूर्णपात्रमयीमाहु: पाकयज्ञस्य दक्षिणाम्
tasmāc chūdraḥ pākayajñair yajetāvratavān svayam | pūrṇapātramayīm āhuḥ pākayajñasya dakṣiṇām ||
Bhīṣma dit : Ainsi, un Śūdra, sans recevoir les initiations formelles des vœux védiques, doit accomplir de lui-même le culte au moyen des «pākayajña» domestiques (tels que les offrandes bali et le rite vaiśvadeva). La dakṣiṇā (rétribution rituelle) convenable pour un pākayajña, dit-on, est un «vase plein» : un don entier, approprié, offert avec sincérité. L’enseignement moral est de suivre la forme du devoir religieux conforme à son éligibilité, tout en maintenant la générosité et la révérence par les rites du foyer.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that religious duty should be practiced according to one’s eligibility: a Śūdra should perform household pākayajñas rather than rites requiring Vedic initiatory vows, and should still uphold generosity by giving an appropriate dakṣiṇā, described here as a ‘full vessel’ gift.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on proper conduct and ritual obligations for different social groups, specifying the suitable form of sacrifice for a Śūdra and the customary form of dakṣiṇā for pākayajñas.