Shloka 20
Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna
The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts
ब्राह्मणो हवाशया पूर्व कृतया पृथिवीपते । सुसमिद्धो यथा दीप्त: पावकस्तद्विध: स्मृत:
brāhmaṇo havāśayā pūrva-kṛtayā pṛthivīpate | susamiddho yathā dīptaḥ pāvakastadvidhaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Ó senhor da terra, um brāhmaṇa sustentado pelo fogo sagrado e firmemente estabelecido na antiga disciplina prescrita é tido como um fogo bem atiçado e ardente—radiante, poderoso e purificador.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A Brāhmaṇa grounded in ancient Vedic discipline and sustained by sacrificial practice is morally and spiritually potent like a blazing fire—capable of illumination and purification; hence such integrity deserves reverence and careful regard in a king’s governance.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing the king on dharma. Here he uses the metaphor of a well-kindled fire to describe the stature and purifying power of a properly disciplined Brāhmaṇa, reinforcing standards of conduct and the king’s duty to honor them.