Shloka 38
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
तमुपाध्याय: प्रत्युवाच मय्यनिवेद्य भैक्ष्यं नोपयोक्तव्यमिति | स तयथेत्युक्त्वा भैक्ष्यं चरित्वोपाध्यायाय न्यवेदयत्,यह सुनकर उपाध्याय उपमन्युसे बोले--“मुझे अर्पण किये बिना तुम्हें भिक्षाका अन्न अपने उपयोगमें नहीं लाना चाहिये।” उपमन्युने “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर उनकी आज्ञा स्वीकार कर ली। अब वह भिक्षा लाकर उपाध्यायको अर्पण करने लगा
tam upādhyāyaḥ pratyuvāca—mayy anivedya bhaikṣyaṃ nopayoktavyam iti | sa tathā ity uktvā bhaikṣyaṃ caritvā upādhyāyāya nyavedayat |
The teacher replied, “You must not consume the alms-food without first offering it to me.” Hearing this, Upamanyu said, “So be it,” accepted the instruction, went out to collect alms, and thereafter presented what he had obtained to his teacher.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
A student must practice restraint and accountability: even basic necessities like alms-food are to be handled under the teacher’s directive, reinforcing humility, obedience, and the primacy of the guru’s authority in traditional education.
The teacher instructs that the student should not eat the begged food without first offering it to him. Upamanyu agrees and begins bringing the collected alms to the teacher as an act of compliance and discipline.