Shloka 19
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
सात्वतं विधिमास्थाय प्राक् सूर्यमुखनि:सृतम् । पूजयामास देवेशं तच्छेषेण पितामहान्
sātvataṁ vidhim āsthāya prāk sūryamukha-niḥsṛtam | pūjayāmāsa deveśaṁ taccheṣeṇa pitāmahān ||
毗湿摩说：他遵奉萨特瓦塔（毗湿奴派）之仪——相传此法最初自太阳神之口流出——先行礼敬诸天之主那罗延。继而以祭礼所余之物奉祀皮特利（祖灵）；又以奉祀祖灵所余，依次分施供养婆罗门及一切依附之人，各得其分，秩序井然。待众人皆受供养之后，他方食其余粮。他笃守真实，于一切众生不行伤害。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches an ethical order of living: begin with devotion to Nārāyaṇa, then honor ancestors and Brāhmaṇas, support dependents, and only then partake oneself—while remaining truthful and non-violent. It presents dharma as disciplined worship, responsible distribution, and restraint.
Bhīṣma describes the conduct of an exemplary person who follows the Sātvata (Vaiṣṇava) ritual system. He worships the Lord first, then uses the remnants of offerings in a graded sequence—Pitṛs, Brāhmaṇas, and others—before eating what remains, embodying satya and ahiṁsā.