Shloka 8
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
युधिछिर उवाच अपूर्वोजप्यथवा विद्वान् सम्बन्धी वा यथा भवेत् । तपस्वी यज्ञशीलो वा कथं पात्र भवेत् तु सः
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | apūrvo jñāpya athavā vidvān sambandhī vā yathā bhavet | tapasvī yajñaśīlo vā kathaṃ pātraṃ bhavet tu saḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Entah ia seorang yang belum dikenal, atau seorang terpelajar, atau seorang kerabat sesuai keadaan; entah ia seorang pertapa atau tekun dalam yajña—dengan sifat-sifat apakah ia menjadi penerima yang sungguh layak bagi persembahan śrāddha dan bagi pemberian dana?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry central to dāna and śrāddha: external labels—being a stranger, a relative, learned, ascetic, or ritual-minded—do not by themselves establish worthiness. The real criterion is the presence of qualifying virtues (such as conduct, self-control, truthfulness, and purity), which the subsequent discourse is expected to define.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks for guidance on whom one should honor with śrāddha offerings and charitable gifts. He lists different categories of potential recipients and requests the specific qualities that make any of them an ‘uttama pātra’ (excellent recipient).