Shloka 20
Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna
The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts
ब्राह्मणो हवाशया पूर्व कृतया पृथिवीपते । सुसमिद्धो यथा दीप्त: पावकस्तद्विध: स्मृत:
brāhmaṇo havāśayā pūrva-kṛtayā pṛthivīpate | susamiddho yathā dīptaḥ pāvakastadvidhaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai penguasa bumi, seorang brāhmana yang hidup bersandar pada api suci dan teguh dalam tata laku kuno yang telah ditetapkan, dipandang laksana api yang tersulut sempurna dan menyala—bercahaya, berdaya, serta menyucikan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A Brāhmaṇa grounded in ancient Vedic discipline and sustained by sacrificial practice is morally and spiritually potent like a blazing fire—capable of illumination and purification; hence such integrity deserves reverence and careful regard in a king’s governance.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing the king on dharma. Here he uses the metaphor of a well-kindled fire to describe the stature and purifying power of a properly disciplined Brāhmaṇa, reinforcing standards of conduct and the king’s duty to honor them.