Shloka 123
अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता
Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality
पुरीषे तस्य ते मासं पितरस्तस्य शेरते । जो ब्राह्मण श्राद्धका भोजन करके फिर उस दिन वेद पढ़ता है तथा जो वृषली स्त्रीसे समागम करता है, उसके पितर उस दिनसे लेकर एक मासतक उसीकी विष्ठामें शयन करते हैं
purīṣe tasya te māsaṃ pitaras tasya śerate | yo brāhmaṇaḥ śrāddhika-bhojanaṃ kṛtvā punaḥ tasmin dine vedaṃ paṭhati tathā yaś ca vṛṣalī-striyā saha samāgacchati, tasya pitaras tasmin dinād ārabhya māsaṃ yāvat tasyaiva viṣṭhāyāṃ śerate |
Bhishma berkata: “Jika seorang Brahmana, setelah memakan makanan persembahan śrāddha, pada hari yang sama kembali membaca Veda; atau jika dia bersetubuh dengan seorang wanita berstatus vṛṣalī, maka sejak hari itu selama genap sebulan, para leluhurnya dikatakan terbaring dalam najisnya sendiri.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that actions violating the restraints associated with śrāddha—especially reciting the Veda after consuming śrāddha food on the same day, and engaging in ritually censured sexual conduct—are considered gravely impure and are said to harm one’s ancestors. It emphasizes disciplined conduct, purity, and reverence in rites meant for the welfare of the pitṛs.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, including detailed rules about śrāddha and purity. Here he states a severe consequence: the pitṛs are metaphorically described as lying in the offender’s excrement for a month, highlighting the perceived spiritual fallout of improper behavior connected to ancestral offerings.