Shloka 433
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
कथयन्ति सम पुरुषा नानादेशनिवासिन: । “जिसकी जैसी इच्छा हो, उसको वही वस्तु दी जाय। सबको इच्छानुसार भोजन कराया जाय'--यह घोषणा दिन-रात जारी रहती थी--कभी बंद नहीं होती थी। हृष्ट-पुष्ट मनुष्योंसे भरे हुए उस यज्ञ-महोत्सवकी चर्चा नाना देशोंके निवासी मनुष्य बहुत दिनोंतक करते रहे
kathayanti sama puruṣā nānādeśanivāsinaḥ | “yasyā yasyecchā bhavet tasmai sā vastur dīyatām | sarvān icchānusāreṇa bhojayitavyāḥ” iti ghoṣaṇā divāniśaṃ pravartate sma—na kadācit viramati sma | hṛṣṭapuṣṭamanuṣyair bhṛtasya tasya yajñamahotsavasya kathāṃ nānādeśanivāsino manuṣyā bahūn ahān kathayām āsuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: People from many lands kept speaking of it. A proclamation ran day and night without pause: “Whatever each person desires, let that very thing be given. Let everyone be fed according to their wish.” For a long time, travelers and residents from diverse regions continued to recount the fame of that sacrificial festival, crowded with joyful and well-nourished people—royal duty made visible as open-handed hospitality and care for all.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic ideal of kingship and ritual: generosity is not merely symbolic but practical—meeting people’s needs and wishes through continuous giving and feeding. Ethical excellence is shown as inclusive hospitality that sustains communal well-being.
During the great sacrificial festival, an unceasing public announcement instructs attendants to give each person what they desire and to feed everyone accordingly. People from many regions later continue to talk about the event’s abundance and the thriving, satisfied crowds.