Shloka 16
प्रतिग्रहभेदः — The Distinction between Giving and Accepting
Vṛṣādarbhī–Saptarṣi Dialogue
तत् कृत्वा स मुनिश्रेष्ठो धर्मसंकरमात्मन: । पश्चात्तापेन महता तप्यमानो<5भ्यचिन्तयत्
tat kṛtvā sa muniśreṣṭho dharmasaṅkaram ātmanaḥ | paścāttāpena mahatā tapyamāno 'bhyacintayat ||
行毕那场施罗陀（śrāddha）之后，最卓越的圣者尼弥自判：自己心中已生“法之混杂”（dharma-saṅkara）——他想道：“吠陀所制的施罗陀，本为父祖等人而设；而我却凭一己之意，为我之子而行。”强烈的悔恨如火灼身，他遂开始如下思量。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a well-intended ritual act can become ethically problematic if it departs from established śāstric injunctions; recognizing such deviation, one should engage in honest self-scrutiny and repentance rather than self-justification.
After performing a śrāddha intended for his son, the sage Nimi realizes that the Vedic rule traditionally directs such rites toward ancestors (father, grandfather, etc.). Feeling he has created a ‘dharma-confusion’ by acting on personal choice, he is overwhelmed with remorse and begins to deliberate on what to do next.