Shloka 38
फल मूलं च बुभुजे राज्ञा दत्त सहानुज: । ततस्ते वृक्षमूलेषु कृतवासपरिग्रहा: । तां रात्रिमवसन् सर्वे फलमूलजलाशना:,“राजन! मनुष्य जिन वस्तुओंका स्वयं उपयोग करता है, उन्हीं वस्तुओंसे वह अतिथिका भी सत्कार करे--ऐसी शास्त्रकी आज्ञा है।” उनके ऐसा कहनेपर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरने “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर उनकी आज्ञा स्वीकार की और उनके दिये हुए फल- मूलका भाइयोंसहित भोजन किया। तदनन्तर उन सब लोगोंने फल-मूल और जलका ही आहार करके वृक्षोंके नीचे ही रहनेका निश्चय कर वहीं वह रात्रि व्यतीत की
phala-mūlaṃ ca bubhuje rājñā dattaḥ sahānujāḥ | tatas te vṛkṣa-mūleṣu kṛta-vāsa-parigrahāḥ | tāṃ rātrim avasan sarve phala-mūla-jalāśanāḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Accepting what the king had given, Yudhiṣṭhira, together with his younger brothers, ate the fruits and roots. Then, resolving to lodge at the bases of trees, they all spent that night there, sustaining themselves only on fruits, roots, and water. The scene underscores dharmic restraint: living simply, accepting what is offered without excess, and honoring the scriptural ideal that one should treat a guest with the very means by which one lives.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic simplicity and restraint: one should live with minimal needs, accept what is properly offered, and embody ethical moderation—especially in a forest/austere setting—without seeking luxury or excess.
Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers eat the fruits and roots given by the king, then decide to lodge beneath trees and pass the night living only on fruits, roots, and water, reflecting their austere mode of life.