Shloka 17
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
भीष्म उवाच आदिष्टिनो ये राजेन्द्र ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगा: । भुज्जते ब्रह्म॒कामाय व्रतलुप्ता भवन्ति ते
bhīṣma uvāca | ādiṣṭino ye rājendra brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ | bhuñjate brahmakāmāya vrataluptā bhavanti te ||
ビーシュマは言った。「王よ、師の命により一定の期間ブラフマチャリヤ（梵行）を守るべく縛られ、ヴェーダに通じた者たちは〈アーディシュティン〉と呼ばれる。もし彼らが、施主がブラーフマナに施したいという望みを満たすためだけにシュラーダの食を受けるなら、損なわれるのは彼ら自身の誓戒である。咎は戒を破った食者にあり、施す者の志を汚すものではない。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A disciplined vow (vrata), especially brahmacarya under a teacher’s injunction, must not be compromised for social convenience. Even if a patron wishes to complete a rite by feeding Brahmins, the vow-holder must protect his own dharma; ethical responsibility is tied to one’s own observance, not merely to pleasing others.
Bhishma instructs the king about ritual and conduct: certain Brahmins (ādiṣṭin students under strict brahmacarya) should not eat in a śrāddha setting just to fulfill the patron’s desire to donate. If they do, their personal vow is considered lapsed—highlighting boundaries between donor’s rite and the recipient’s discipline.