Shloka 18
अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
रसालापूपकांश्रित्रानू मोदकानथ खाण्डवान् | रसान् नानाप्रकारांश्व वन्यं च मुनिभोजनम्
bhīṣma uvāca | rasālāpūpakāṃś cāpi trīn modakān atha khāṇḍavān | rasān nānāprakārāṃś ca vanyaṃ ca munibhojanam ||
Bhishma sprach: „Aus Furcht vor einem Fluch hatte der König vielerlei Köstlichkeiten herbeischaffen und auslegen lassen: süße Getränke und Sirupe, Kuchen und Gebäck, verschiedene Modakas (süße Teigklöße), Zuckerkandizubereitungen und Säfte mancher Art; dazu Waldspeisen, wie sie den Munis ziemen—wilde Wurzeln und Knollen sowie vielfältige Früchte—ferner zahlreiche Gerichte, wie sie Könige gewöhnlich genießen, und Speisen, die für Hausväter wie für Waldbewohner geeignet sind.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights dharmic hospitality: a ruler should provide appropriate, varied, and context-sensitive food—fit for sages as well as for royal guests—showing respect and restraint, especially when moral consequences (such as a curse) are at stake.
Bhishma describes how a king, fearing the repercussions of offending holy persons, urgently procures and presents an extensive spread of foods—sweets, drinks, and forest fare suitable for ascetics—along with items typically enjoyed in royal households.