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 |
毗湿摩说道：“在那教法之中，关于祖先施行的祭祖供养（śrāddha）之仪，其隐秘要义被揭示；并且，一切诸神的内在奥旨也被完整阐明——连同其幽玄的理据，宣说诸仙之大法，深奥而多果；亦说明大祭祀之果报，以及一切布施之果报。”
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.