Shloka 15
ऋत्विग्धर्मः, दक्षिणा-न्यायः, तपसः परमार्थः
Ritvij-Dharma, the Norm of Dakṣiṇā, and the Higher Meaning of Tapas
पुमान् यज्ञश्न सोमश्च न्यायवृत्तो यदा भवेत् | अन्यायवृत्त: पुरुषो न परस्य न चात्मन:
pumān yajñaśna somaś ca nyāyavṛtto yadā bhavet | anyāyavṛttaḥ puruṣo na parasya na cātmanaḥ ||
Bila orang yang melaksanakan yajña, yajña itu sendiri, dan Soma—ketiganya tegak dalam keadilan serta laku yang benar—maka yajña terlaksana dengan sempurna sebagaimana mestinya. Tetapi orang yang berpihak pada ketidakbenaran tidak dapat membawa kebaikan bagi orang lain, bahkan bagi dirinya sendiri pun tidak.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual action becomes genuinely fruitful only when it is grounded in justice and ethical conduct; unrighteous behavior undermines both social good and personal welfare.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma explains to the listener that the integrity of a sacrifice depends on the moral rectitude of all involved—sacrificer, participants, and the Soma offering—while condemning the futility of unjust conduct.