Shloka 23
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
सन्ति लोके<श्रद्दधाना मनुष्या: सन्ति क्षुद्रा राक्षसमानुषेषु । एषामेतद् दीयमान हानिष्टं ये नास्तिक्यं चाश्रयन्तेडल्पपुण्या:
santi loke 'śraddadhānā manuṣyāḥ santi kṣudrā rākṣasamānuṣeṣu | eṣām etad dīyamānaṃ hāniṣṭaṃ ye nāstikyaṃ cāśrayante 'lpa-puṇyāḥ ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Sa daigdig ay may mga taong walang pananampalataya, at sa mga taong may likas na tulad ng rākṣasa ay marami ring makikitid ang isip. Para sa mga gayong tao—yaong kakaunti ang kabutihang-loob at kumakapit sa di-paniniwala—hindi kanais-nais na ibigay ang aral na ito; sapagkat kapag naipagkaloob sa kanila, madalas itong magbunga ng pinsala kaysa kabutihan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma teaches that instruction in dharma should be given with discernment: those who are faithless, petty-minded, or entrenched in disbelief and lacking merit are not suitable recipients, because the teaching may be misused or produce harmful outcomes.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is delivering ethical and religious counsel. Here he cautions that certain audiences—especially the faithless and nāstika-minded—should not be pressed with this particular instruction, as it is unlikely to benefit them and may instead cause harm.