Shloka 20
ऋत्विग्धर्मः, दक्षिणा-न्यायः, तपसः परमार्थः
Ritvij-Dharma, the Norm of Dakṣiṇā, and the Higher Meaning of Tapas
निबोध देवहोतृणां विधान पार्थ यादृशम् । चित्ति: ख्रुक् चित्तमाज्यं च पवित्र ज्ञानमुत्तमम्
nibodha devahotṝṇāṁ vidhāna pārtha yādṛśam | cittiḥ khruk cittam ājyaṁ ca pavitraṁ jñānam uttamam ||
毗湿摩说道：“般度之子啊，当知具天德之祭官（hotṛ）的法则为何。且听他们的祭具：辅佐的‘citti’本身就是祭勺；心本身就是所献的酥油；而至上之智就是净化者。由此可知，真正的祭祀在于内在——以调伏之心与洞见而行，而非仅凭外在仪式。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse redefines sacrifice ethically and psychologically: for a truly ‘divine’ priest, the real implements are internal—attentive awareness serves as the ladle, the mind becomes the oblation (ghee), and supreme knowledge is the purifier. It emphasizes inner discipline and wisdom over mere external ritual.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira (and addresses Arjuna here as Pārtha/Kuntīnandana) on dharma and higher conduct. In this passage he explains a symbolic, inward form of yajña, describing the ‘equipment’ of spiritually endowed priests as mental and cognitive faculties.