Shloka 24
Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः
अविषह्ा हा[सम्भोज्या निकृत्या पतनं गता:,ऐसे लोग दूसरोंके लिये असहा हो उठते हैं। इनका अन्न न तो स्वयं भोजन करे और न इन्हें ही अपना अन्न दे; क्योंकि ये छल-कपटके द्वारा पतनके गर्तमें गिर चुके हैं और देवलोक तथा मनुष्यलोक दोनोंसे वंचित हो प्रेतोंके समान अवस्थाको पहुँच गये हैं। इतना ही नहीं, वे यज्ञ और तपस्यासे भी हीन हैं; अतः तुम कभी उनका संग न करो
bhīṣma uvāca | aviṣahāḥ parasambhojyā nikṛtyā patanaṃ gatāḥ | teṣām annaṃ na svayaṃ bhuñjīta na ca tebhyo 'nnam pradadyāt | devamanuṣyalokābhyāṃ cyutāḥ pretavat sthitāḥ | yajñatapaḥhīnāś ca tasmāt teṣāṃ saṅgaṃ na kadācana kuryāḥ ||
Bhishma disse: “Aqueles que se tornaram intoleráveis aos outros e vivem explorando o que pertence a outrem caíram pela fraude. Não se deve comer do alimento deles, nem oferecer-lhes o próprio; pois, pelo engano, afundaram no abismo da ruína. Cortados tanto do mundo dos deuses quanto do mundo dos homens, existem como espíritos errantes e inquietos. Privados de sacrifício e de austeridade, não são dignos de convivência; portanto, jamais mantenhas a sua companhia.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not associate with people who live by deceit and exploitation; their moral fall makes their company—and even exchange of food with them—spiritually and socially contaminating, as they are portrayed as cut off from both divine merit and human respectability.
In Bhishma’s instruction discourse in the Shanti Parva, he warns the listener about a class of deceitful, exploitative persons and prescribes strict avoidance—symbolized by refusing to eat their food or feed them—because their conduct has led to a degraded, ‘preta-like’ condition.