Shloka 44
Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)
ऋग्यजु:सामवित् पूज्यो नित्यं स्थाद् देववद् द्विज: । अनृग्यजुरसामा च प्राजापत्य उपद्रव: । यज्ञों मनीषया तात सर्ववर्णेषु भारत
bhīṣma uvāca | ṛgyajuḥsāmavit pūjyo nityaṃ sthād devavad dvijaḥ | anṛgyajur asāmā ca prājāpatya upadravaḥ | yajño manīṣayā tāta sarvavarṇeṣu bhārata ||
毗湿摩说：“通晓《梨俱》《夜柔》《娑摩》三吠陀的再生族（dvija），当恒常受敬，如同神明。即便不知《梨俱》《夜柔》《娑摩》者——如仆役或首陀罗——亦可称为‘普罗阇钵底耶’（Prājāpatya），即与生主（Prajāpati）相应之奉信者。亲爱的啊，婆罗多之后裔啊：以意向与领悟在内心所行之祭——心祭、意供——为一切诸姓所共有。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes between (1) the social reverence due to a dvija learned in the three Vedas and (2) the broader spiritual accessibility of inner sacrifice: a mental, intention-based yajña is open to all varṇas, even to those without Vedic study.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about religious merit and social honor: Vedic mastery warrants high respect, yet devotion and inward sacrificial practice are not restricted to the Veda-trained classes.