Shloka 14
Atithi’s Direction to the Nāga-sage Padma at Naimiṣa (अतिथ्युपदेशः—नैमिषे पद्मनागोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)
अग्नौ समिद्धे स जुहोति यो विद्वान् ब्राह्मण-मुखेनाहुतिं जुहोति,जो दिद्वान् ब्राह्मणके मुखरूपी अग्निमें अन्नकी आहुति देता है, वह मानो प्रज्वलित अग्निमें होम करता है
agnau samiddhe sa juhoti yo vidvān brāhmaṇa-mukhena āhutiṃ juhoti; yo vidvān brāhmaṇasya mukha-rūpiṇi agnau annasya āhutiṃ dadāti, sa manye prajvalite agnau homaṃ karoti.
Arjuna sprach: „Wahrhaftig bringt jener Weise eine Gabe in ein wohlentfachtes Feuer dar, der die Opfergabe durch den Mund eines Brāhmaṇa darbringt. Wer mit Einsicht Speise als Opfergabe in das ‚Feuer‘ gibt, das der Mund des Brāhmaṇa ist, der gilt als einer, der in eine lodernde Opferflamme geopfert hat.“
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse equates feeding a worthy Brāhmaṇa with performing a formal fire-sacrifice: giving food as an offering is presented as a genuine yajña, emphasizing ethical giving and support of sacred learning as a high form of dharma.
Arjuna speaks in a didactic context within Śānti Parva, reflecting on the value of dāna and yajña. He states that offering food through the Brāhmaṇa’s mouth is like offering into a blazing fire, using sacrificial imagery to praise charitable giving.