Shloka 1
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
०४८ श्यु 8 त्रिनववतितमो<्थ्याय: गृहस्थके धर्मोका रहस्य
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dvijātayo vratopetā havis te yadi bhuñjate | annaṃ brāhma-kāmāya katham etat pitāmaha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Kakek, bila para dwija yang sedang menjalankan vrata memakan makanan persembahan—haviṣya/anna śrāddha—demi memenuhi permohonan seorang brāhmaṇa, bagaimana hal itu harus dinilai? Dalam keadaan demikian, manakah yang patut: menjaga vrata tanpa cela, atau mengalah demi menghormati dan menunaikan kewajiban kepada sang brāhmaṇa?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a classic dharma-dilemma: when two duties appear to conflict—fidelity to one’s vow (vrata) versus honoring a Brahmin’s request and the social-ritual obligations tied to it—one must discern which action best upholds dharma in context, intention, and consequence.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to clarify whether vow-observing twice-born men may eat sacrificial/ritual food to satisfy a Brahmin’s wish, and how such an act should be evaluated ethically.