Shloka 15
ऋत्विग्धर्मः, दक्षिणा-न्यायः, तपसः परमार्थः
Ritvij-Dharma, the Norm of Dakṣiṇā, and the Higher Meaning of Tapas
पुमान् यज्ञश्न सोमश्च न्यायवृत्तो यदा भवेत् | अन्यायवृत्त: पुरुषो न परस्य न चात्मन:
pumān yajñaśna somaś ca nyāyavṛtto yadā bhavet | anyāyavṛttaḥ puruṣo na parasya na cātmanaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Lorsque l’homme qui prend part au sacrifice, le Soma et le sacrifiant lui-même sont tous trois établis dans la justice et la conduite droite, alors le sacrifice s’accomplit véritablement dans sa forme propre. Mais l’homme voué à l’injustice ne peut faire du bien ni à autrui, ni même à lui-même.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual action becomes genuinely fruitful only when it is grounded in justice and ethical conduct; unrighteous behavior undermines both social good and personal welfare.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma explains to the listener that the integrity of a sacrifice depends on the moral rectitude of all involved—sacrificer, participants, and the Soma offering—while condemning the futility of unjust conduct.