Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 141
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
जब गृहस्थोंके यहाँ रसोईघरका धुआँ निकलना बंद हो जाय
yadā gṛhasthānāṃ gṛheṣu mahānasa-dhūmo niḥsaraṇaṃ nivartate, musalena dhānya-kuṭanasyāpi śabdo na śrūyate—sarvatra śāntiḥ syāt; cullī-agniḥ praśāmyati; gṛhasthāḥ sarve bhojanaṃ kṛtvā nivṛttāḥ syuḥ; bhājanānāṃ paritaḥ parivahanaṃ na pravartate; bhikṣavaś ca bhikṣāṃ yācitvā nivṛttā bhavanti—tāvat kālaṃ ṛṣīn atithīṃś ca pratīkṣeta, tataḥ śeṣa-bhūtaṃ annaṃ svayaṃ gṛhṇīyāt. evaṃ kṛtvā satya-dharme ’nurāgī śāntaḥ puruṣo muni-dharma-yukto bhavati, muni-dharma-pālanasya phalaṃ labhate. yasya darpo nāsti nābhimānaḥ, yo na aprasannaḥ na vismitaḥ, yaḥ śatru-mitrayoḥ samadarśī sarva-bhūteṣu maitrī-bhāvaṃ dhārayati, sa eva dharma-vettṛṣu uttama ṛṣiḥ.
Maheshvara said: When in a householder’s home the kitchen smoke no longer rises, the sound of pounding grain with the pestle is no longer heard and silence has settled; when the hearth-fire has died down; when everyone in the household has finished eating; when the carrying of vessels to and fro has ceased; and when the mendicants, having asked for alms, have already departed—until such a time one should keep watch for sages and guests, and only then partake oneself of whatever food remains. By acting thus, a tranquil person devoted to the dharma of truth becomes aligned with the discipline of the munis and gains the fruit of observing a sage’s way of life. One who is free from pride and self-importance, who is neither sullen nor easily astonished, who regards friend and foe alike, and who maintains goodwill toward all beings—he is the best of those who know dharma, a true rishi among the wise.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A householder should prioritize hospitality and almsgiving: wait until the day’s opportunities to feed sages, guests, and mendicants have passed, and only then eat what remains. The deeper ethic is humility and universal friendliness—freedom from pride, steady composure, and equal regard for friend and enemy—presented as the mark of a true knower of dharma.
Maheshvara instructs on proper conduct for householders. He describes practical signs that the household’s meal-service has ended (no kitchen smoke, no pounding, fire out, utensils stilled, beggars gone) and says one should keep watch for late-arriving sages/guests until then. He concludes by defining the inner qualities that complete this outer practice: egolessness, emotional steadiness, impartiality, and benevolence.