Shloka 17
अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence
भीष्म उवाच आदिष्टिनो ये राजेन्द्र ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगा: । भुज्जते ब्रह्म॒कामाय व्रतलुप्ता भवन्ति ते
bhīṣma uvāca | ādiṣṭino ye rājendra brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ | bhuñjate brahmakāmāya vrataluptā bhavanti te ||
भीष्म उवाच—आदिष्टिनो ये राजेन्द्र ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः । भुञ्जते ब्राह्मकामाय व्रतलुप्ता भवन्ति ते ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A disciplined vow (vrata), especially brahmacarya under a teacher’s injunction, must not be compromised for social convenience. Even if a patron wishes to complete a rite by feeding Brahmins, the vow-holder must protect his own dharma; ethical responsibility is tied to one’s own observance, not merely to pleasing others.
Bhishma instructs the king about ritual and conduct: certain Brahmins (ādiṣṭin students under strict brahmacarya) should not eat in a śrāddha setting just to fulfill the patron’s desire to donate. If they do, their personal vow is considered lapsed—highlighting boundaries between donor’s rite and the recipient’s discipline.