Shloka 18
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
राजोवाच गोवृषो वा वराहो वा मृगो वा महिषो5पि वा । त्वदर्थमद्य क्रियतां क्षुधाप्रशमनाय ते
rājovāca govṛṣo vā varāho vā mṛgo vā mahiṣo 'pi vā | tvadartham adya kriyatāṃ kṣudhāpraśamanāya te ||
Der König sprach: „O Habicht! Sei es ein Stier, ein Eber, ein Hirsch oder gar ein Büffel—es soll noch heute deinetwegen bereitet werden, als Speise, um deinen Hunger zu stillen.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharma of hospitality: a ruler feels obligated to relieve a guest’s hunger and is ready to provide substantial food. At the same time, it implicitly foregrounds an ethical dilemma—meeting a duty of care through the taking of animal life—setting up reflection on competing dharmas.
A king addresses a guest and offers to have an animal prepared as food—bull, boar, deer, or buffalo—explicitly stating that it should be done that very day to pacify the guest’s hunger.