Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Siddha–Śilavṛtti-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-stava (गङ्गामाहात्म्यं—सिद्ध-शिलवृत्ति-संवादः)
अधर्मनिरतो मूढो मिथ्या यो वै द्विजातिषु । दद्यान्मर्मातिगं शोकं त॑ विद्याद् ब्रद्मघातिनम्
adharmanirato mūḍho mithyā yo vai dvijātiṣu | dadyān marmātigaṃ śokaṃ taṃ vidyād brahmaghātinam ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಅಧರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರತನಾದ ಮೂಢನು ದ್ವಿಜರ ಕುರಿತು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಅಪವಾದ ಮಾಡಿ ಮರ್ಮವನ್ನು ತಿವಿಯುವ ಶೋಕವನ್ನುಂಟುಮಾಡಿದರೆ, ಅವನನ್ನು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಘಾತಕನೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕು।
भीष्म उवाच
False and malicious speech directed at the twice-born—especially speech that causes deep, piercing anguish—is treated as a grave moral offense, comparable in severity to brahmahatyā (the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa).
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on dharma, emphasizing ethical restraint in conduct and speech; here he warns that slander and harmful falsehood toward the dvijas brings extreme culpability.