Shloka 23
स्त्रीस्वभावप्रश्नः — Nārada and Pañcacūḍā on Strī-svabhāva
Anuśāsana-parva 38
प्रतिग्रहेण तेजो हि विप्राणां शाम्पतेडनघ । प्रतिग्रहं ये नेच्छेयुस्ते भ्यो रक्ष्यं त्वया नृप,निष्पाप नरेश! दान लेनेसे ब्राह्मणोंका तेज शान्त हो जाता है; इसलिये जो दान नहीं लेना चाहते उन ब्राह्मणोंसे तुम्हें अपने कुलकी रक्षा करनी चाहिये
pratigraheṇa tejo hi viprāṇāṃ śāṃpate 'naghā | pratigrahaṃ ye neccheyus tebhyo rakṣyaṃ tvayā nṛpa || niṣpāpa nareśa ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai tuan yang tidak bercela, cahaya rohani (tejas) para brāhmaṇa sesungguhnya berkurang apabila menerima pemberian. Oleh itu, wahai raja, engkau mesti memelihara dan melindungi—demi menjaga keturunan dan kerajaanmu—para brāhmaṇa yang tidak mahu menerima hadiah, wahai pemerintah yang bebas dosa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that indiscriminate acceptance of gifts can erode a Brahmin’s spiritual-moral potency (tejas). Hence, a king should especially protect and honor those Brahmins who maintain independence by refusing gifts, as their integrity strengthens dharma and stabilizes the realm.
In Bhishma’s instruction to the king within the Anushasana Parva, he discusses norms of conduct around giving and receiving. Here he warns about the spiritual cost of ‘pratigraha’ for Brahmins and urges the king to safeguard those who decline gifts, treating them as pillars of the kingdom’s welfare.