Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)
एतस्मात् कारणाद् देवा गन्धर्वोरगराक्षसा: । मनुष्याश्न पिशाचाश्व प्रयता धारयन्ति तत्
etasmāt kāraṇād devā gandharvoragarākṣasāḥ | manuṣyāś ca piśācāś ca prayatā dhārayanti tat ||
Bhishma berkata: “Karena alasan inilah para dewa, Gandharva, Ura-ga (Nāga), dan Rākṣasa—juga manusia serta Piśāca—dengan penuh kehati-hatian memegang teguh dan menjalankan hal itu.”
भीष्म उवाच
That the stated dharmic rule or discipline is not merely human convention; it is regarded as binding and worth upholding across many orders of beings, and therefore should be observed with care and restraint.
Bhīṣma, in his instruction during the Anuśāsana Parva, emphasizes the authority of a previously mentioned principle by stating that even gods and various non-human beings observe it attentively—strengthening its normative force for the listener.