Shloka 20

अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः

Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission

Devanagari script

गृहस्थानां च यद्‌ भोज्यं यच्चापि वनवासिनाम्‌ | सर्वमाहारयामास राजा शापभयात्‌ ततः

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

gṛhasthānāṃ ca yad bhojyaṃ yac cāpi vanavāsinām |

sarvam āhārayāmāsa rājā śāpabhayāt tataḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Then, out of fear of a curse, the king had brought and set forth everything fit to be eaten—both the foods proper to householders and those suitable for forest-dwellers.”

Word by Word

• गृहस्थानाम्: of householders
• गृहस्थानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भोज्यम्: edible food
• भोज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यत्: and whatever
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• वनवासिनाम्: of forest-dwellers
• वनवासिनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनवासिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आहारयामास: caused to be brought / procured
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शापभयात्: from fear of a curse
• शापभयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप-भय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the king (rājā)
• householders (gṛhastha)
• forest-dwellers (vanavāsin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a king’s obligation to provide appropriately for different modes of life (householder and forest-dweller), while also showing how fear of moral/spiritual consequence (a curse) can compel a ruler to act promptly and comprehensively.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that the king, anxious about incurring a curse, orders that all kinds of suitable foods be procured—covering both settled household fare and forest-appropriate provisions—and has them presented without omission.