Shloka 19
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
सात्वतं विधिमास्थाय प्राक् सूर्यमुखनि:सृतम् । पूजयामास देवेशं तच्छेषेण पितामहान्
sātvataṁ vidhim āsthāya prāk sūryamukha-niḥsṛtam | pūjayāmāsa deveśaṁ taccheṣeṇa pitāmahān ||
Dengan menempuh tata-ritus Sātvata (Waisnawa) yang dikatakan mula-mula memancar dari mulut Sang Surya, ia terlebih dahulu memuja Nārāyaṇa, Tuhan para dewa. Lalu, dari sisa persembahan pemujaan itu ia menghormati para Pitṛ (leluhur); dari sisa persembahan bagi Pitṛ ia memuliakan para Brāhmaṇa serta para tanggungan lainnya, membagikan kepada masing-masing menurut tertibnya. Setelah memberi kepada semua, barulah ia menyantap makanan yang tersisa. Ia teguh pada kebenaran dan tidak menyakiti makhluk hidup mana pun.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches an ethical order of living: begin with devotion to Nārāyaṇa, then honor ancestors and Brāhmaṇas, support dependents, and only then partake oneself—while remaining truthful and non-violent. It presents dharma as disciplined worship, responsible distribution, and restraint.
Bhīṣma describes the conduct of an exemplary person who follows the Sātvata (Vaiṣṇava) ritual system. He worships the Lord first, then uses the remnants of offerings in a graded sequence—Pitṛs, Brāhmaṇas, and others—before eating what remains, embodying satya and ahiṁsā.