Shloka 26
पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient
ततो राष्ट्रस्य शान्तिर्हि भूतानामिव वासवात् । राजाओंको चाहिये कि वे उत्तम भोग
tato rāṣṭrasya śāntir hi bhūtānām iva vāsavāt | rājñāṃ ca kāryaṃ yatnena brāhmaṇānāṃ sadārcanam || yathā mahārṇave kṣipta āmaloṣṭo vinaśyati | tathā duścaritaṃ sarvaṃ parābhāvāya kalpate ||
毗湿摩说道：“由此，国中得以安宁——正如婆娑婆（因陀罗）降下甘霖，万类众生皆蒙福祉。故诸王应当恒常以恭敬礼拜供养婆罗门：奉上上等享用之物、华美饰品，以及他们以礼请求、按法呈献的诸般心愿之礼；并如奉养父亲一般，顾念其衣食资养。唯有依凭这些婆罗门，邦国之安宁方能长存。又如一团生泥掷入大海，顷刻消融；同样，一旦得与婆罗门相交，诸恶行皆自毁而灭，终归败亡。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king secures peace and stability in the realm by consistently honoring and supporting Brāhmaṇas with reverence and appropriate gifts; association with the virtuous hastens the destruction of wrongdoing, which naturally leads to its own downfall.
Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on royal duty (rājadharma), using two similes—Indra’s rain bringing welfare to beings, and raw clay dissolving in the ocean—to emphasize that honoring Brāhmaṇas sustains public peace and erodes sinful conduct.