Shloka 38
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
तस्माच्छूद्र: पाकयज्जैर्यजेताव्रतवान् स्वयम् । पूर्णपात्रमयीमाहु: पाकयज्ञस्य दक्षिणाम्
tasmāc chūdraḥ pākayajñair yajetāvratavān svayam | pūrṇapātramayīm āhuḥ pākayajñasya dakṣiṇām ||
ਇਸ ਲਈ ਸ਼ੂਦ੍ਰ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਵੈਦਿਕ ਵਰਤ-ਦੀਖਿਆ ਲਏ ਬਿਨਾਂ, ਆਪਣੇ ਯਤਨ ਨਾਲ ਪਾਕਯੱਗਾਂ—ਬਲੀ, ਵੈਸ਼ਵਦੇਵ ਆਦਿ ਘਰੇਲੂ ਕਰਮਾਂ—ਰਾਹੀਂ ਯਜਨ ਕਰੇ। ਪਾਕਯੱਗ ਦੀ ਦਕਸ਼ਿਣਾ ‘ਪੂਰਨ-ਪਾਤ੍ਰਮਈ’ ਕਹੀ ਗਈ ਹੈ—ਸ਼ਰਧਾ ਨਾਲ ਭਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਯਥੋਚਿਤ ਪੂਰਾ ਪਾਤ੍ਰ ਦਾਨ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that religious duty should be practiced according to one’s eligibility: a Śūdra should perform household pākayajñas rather than rites requiring Vedic initiatory vows, and should still uphold generosity by giving an appropriate dakṣiṇā, described here as a ‘full vessel’ gift.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on proper conduct and ritual obligations for different social groups, specifying the suitable form of sacrifice for a Śūdra and the customary form of dakṣiṇā for pākayajñas.