Shloka 27
प्रतिग्रहभेदः — The Distinction between Giving and Accepting
Vṛṣādarbhī–Saptarṣi Dialogue
देवास्तु पितरो नाम निर्मिता ये स्वयम्भुवा । उष्णपा ये महाभागास्तेषां भाग: प्रकल्पित:
devāstu pitaro nāma nirmitā ye svayambhuvā | uṣṇapā ye mahābhāgāsteṣāṃ bhāgaḥ prakalpitaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Sebahagian makhluk ilahi, yang diciptakan oleh Svayambhū (Pencipta Yang Terbit Sendiri), dikenali dengan nama ‘Pitṛ’ (Nenek Moyang). Pitṛ yang mulia itu juga disebut Uṣṇapā. Bagi mereka, Svayambhū telah menetapkan suatu bahagian khusus dalam persembahan śrāddha—menegaskan bahawa menghormati nenek moyang ialah kewajipan yang disahkan dalam dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That honoring the Pitṛs through śrāddha is not optional sentiment but a dharmically authorized obligation: the Creator himself has assigned the Pitṛs their rightful share in offerings.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he identifies a class of beings called the Pitṛs—also termed Uṣṇapā—and explains their divine origin and their formally prescribed portion in śrāddha rites.