Shloka 4

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत आश्रमवासिकपव॑के अन्तर्गत आश्रमवासपर्वमें व्यायकी आज्ञाविषयक चौथा अध्याय पूरा हुआ,उस समय उनके पीछे-पीछे ज्ञानी विदुर, सारथि संजय तथा शरद्वानके पुत्र महाधनुर्धर कृपाचार्य भी गये ।। स प्रविश्य गृहं राजन्‌ कृतपूर्वाल्निकक्रिय: । तर्पयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठानाहारमकरोत्‌ तदा राजन! घरमें प्रवेश करके उन्होंने पूर्वाह्लकालकी धार्मिक क्रिया पूरी की; फिर श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंको अन्न-पान आदिसे तृप्त करके स्वयं भी भोजन किया

Transliteration

sa praviśya gṛhaṃ rājan kṛta-pūrvāhṇika-kriyaḥ | tarpayitvā dvija-śreṣṭhān āhāram akarot tadā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: O King, after entering the house and completing the prescribed religious duties of the forenoon, he satisfied the foremost Brahmins with food and drink; then, in due order, he himself took his meal.

Word by Word

सःhe

प्रविश्यhaving entered

गृहम्the house

राजन्O king

कृत-पूर्वाह्णिक-क्रियःone who had performed the forenoon rites

तर्पयित्वाhaving satisfied (fed/pleased)

द्विज-श्रेष्ठान्the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)

आहारम्food/meal

अकरोत्did/made (took)

तदाthen

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya (implied by 'rājan')

dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ (foremost Brahmins)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic order in daily life: complete prescribed rites first, honour and nourish worthy guests—especially learned Brahmins—and only then attend to one’s own needs. It presents restraint and prioritizing duty over personal comfort as ethical conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

The person described enters the house, performs the forenoon religious observances, offers food and drink to eminent Brahmins until they are satisfied, and afterward takes his own meal—showing a household scene governed by ritual propriety and hospitality.