Shloka 24
Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः
अविषह्ा हा[सम्भोज्या निकृत्या पतनं गता:
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 ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: “Yaong mga naging di-matiis ng iba at nabubuhay sa pagsasamantala sa pag-aari ng kapwa ay bumagsak dahil sa panlilinlang. Huwag mong kainin ang kanilang pagkain, at huwag mo ring ibigay sa kanila ang iyo; sapagkat sa pandaraya sila’y lumubog sa kapahamakan. Naputol sa kapwa daigdig—sa daigdig ng mga diyos at sa daigdig ng tao—nabubuhay silang parang mga ligaw na espiritu. Salat sa yajña at sa tapas, hindi sila karapat-dapat samahan; kaya’t huwag mong kailanman panatilihin ang kanilang pakikisama.”
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.