Shloka 7
Rantideva’s Supreme Charity and the Hastī Lineage
Hastināpura and Pañcāla Origins
अथान्यो भोक्ष्यमाणस्य विभक्तस्य महीपते: । विभक्तं व्यभजत् तस्मै वृषलाय हरिं स्मरन् ॥ ७ ॥
athānyo bhokṣyamāṇasya vibhaktasya mahīpateḥ vibhaktaṁ vyabhajat tasmai vṛṣalāya hariṁ smaran
Thereafter, having shared the remaining food among his relatives, King Rantideva was about to eat his own portion when a śūdra guest arrived. Remembering Hari in him, the king gave him as well a share of the food.
Because King Rantideva saw everyone as part of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he never distinguished between the brāhmaṇa and the śūdra, the poor and the rich. Such equal vision is called sama-darśinaḥ ( paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ ). One who has actually realized that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in everyone’s heart and that every living being is part of the Lord does not make any distinction between the brāhmaṇa and the śūdra, the poor ( daridra ) and the rich ( dhanī ). Such a person sees all living beings equally and treats them equally, without discrimination.
FAQs
This verse highlights that even amid social and moral actions like distributing food, remembrance of Hari is central—devotional consciousness is presented as the guiding inner principle.
The verse narrates a striking reversal in distribution—someone reassigned the portion intended for the king and gave it to a śūdra, indicating a specific incident in the story where allocation and conduct become a point of consequence and reflection on dharma.
Act with God-consciousness while handling resources—food, money, or opportunities—and ensure distribution is guided by integrity, compassion, and accountability rather than impulse or bias.