Shloka 12
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
पितृणां यत्र गुह्यानि प्रोच्यन्ते श्राद्धकर्मणि । देवतानां च सर्वेषां रहस्यं कथ्यतेडखिलम्
bhīṣma uvāca | pitṝṇāṁ yatra guhyāni procyante śrāddhakarmaṇi | devatānāṁ ca sarveṣāṁ rahasyaṁ kathyate ’khilam |
ビーシュマは言った。「その教えには、祖霊のためのシュラーダ（śrāddha）儀礼に関する秘められた原理が明かされている。さらに、あらゆる神々の内奥の意味が余すところなく説かれ—その秘義の理を伴って、果報豊かな仙人たちの大いなるダルマ、また大供犠の果と、あらゆる布施の果とが示される。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma highlights a body of instruction that reveals the esoteric rationale of śrāddha for the ancestors and the inner meaning of the gods, emphasizing that ritual, charity, and seers’ dharma are not merely external acts but carry specific moral-spiritual consequences (phala) when performed with proper understanding.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he points to a teaching/textual section that comprehensively explains the hidden aspects of ancestral rites, divine mysteries, and the merits of great sacrifices and gifts, framing it as authoritative guidance for righteous conduct.