Shloka 12
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
यावन्त: पतिता विप्रा जडोन्मत्तास्तथैव च । दैवे वाप्यथ पित्रये वा राजन् ना्हन्ति केतनम्
yāvantaḥ patitā viprā jaḍonmattās tathaiva ca | daive vāpy atha pitrye vā rājan nārhanti ketanam ||
Bhīṣma bersabda: “Wahai Raja, betapa ramai pun brāhmaṇa yang telah jatuh daripada kelakuan benar, atau menjadi tumpul akal, atau menjadi gila—mereka itu tidak layak diundang bagi upacara untuk para dewa atau untuk Pitṛ (leluhur). Sekarang dengarlah ajaran tentang memeriksa seorang brāhmaṇa ketika memberi derma dan makanan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that ritual invitations for divine and ancestral ceremonies should be given only to brāhmaṇas who are fit in conduct and capacity; those who are fallen from dharma, or incapable due to dullness or madness, are not appropriate recipients for such formal rites.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he introduces guidance on how to assess a brāhmaṇa when offering gifts and food, first stating who is disqualified from being invited to daiva and pitṛ rites.