Shloka 19
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
यत् किंचित् कथ्यते लोके श्रूयते पठ्यतेडपि वा । सर्व तद् ब्राह्मणेष्वेव गूढो ग्निरिव दारुषु,संसारमें जो कुछ कहा-सुना या पढ़ा जाता है वह सब काठमें छिपी हुई आगकी तरह ब्राह्मणोंमें ही स्थित है
yat kiñcit kathyate loke śrūyate paṭhyate ’pi vā | sarva tad brāhmaṇeṣv eva gūḍho ’gnir iva dāruṣu ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: Apa pun yang diucapkan di dunia—apa pun yang didengar atau bahkan dibaca—semuanya bersemayam dalam diri para Brāhmaṇa, bagaikan api yang tersembunyi di dalam kayu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
All forms of meaningful discourse—spoken, heard, or read—ultimately depend on the preservation and disciplined transmission of sacred and learned tradition, symbolized here by the Brāhmaṇas; knowledge is latent like fire in wood and becomes manifest through proper cultivation.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and social-religious duties; in this verse he emphasizes the foundational role of Brāhmaṇas in safeguarding and articulating what society recognizes as authoritative knowledge.