Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 12
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
पितृणां यत्र गुह्यानि प्रोच्यन्ते श्राद्धकर्मणि । देवतानां च सर्वेषां रहस्यं कथ्यतेडखिलम्
bhīṣma uvāca | pitṝṇāṁ yatra guhyāni procyante śrāddhakarmaṇi | devatānāṁ ca sarveṣāṁ rahasyaṁ kathyate ’khilam |
Wika ni Bhishma: “Sa aral na iyon inihahayag ang mga lihim na simulain hinggil sa mga ritong śrāddha para sa mga ninuno; at doon din ipinaliliwanag ang ganap na panloob na kahulugan ng lahat ng mga diyos—na inilalahad, kasama ang mahiwagang batayan nito, ang dakila at mabungang dharma ng mga rishi, gayundin ang mga bunga ng malalaking paghahandog at ng bawat uri ng pagbibigay.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma highlights a body of instruction that reveals the esoteric rationale of śrāddha for the ancestors and the inner meaning of the gods, emphasizing that ritual, charity, and seers’ dharma are not merely external acts but carry specific moral-spiritual consequences (phala) when performed with proper understanding.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he points to a teaching/textual section that comprehensively explains the hidden aspects of ancestral rites, divine mysteries, and the merits of great sacrifices and gifts, framing it as authoritative guidance for righteous conduct.