Shloka 66

Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

भुक्त्वा तानपि सक्तून्‌ स नैव तुष्टो बभूव ह । उज्छवृत्तिस्तु धर्मात्मा बत्रीडामनुजगाम ह,वह सत्तू खाकर भी ब्राह्मण देवताका पेट न भरा। यह देखकर उज्छवृत्तिधारी धर्मात्मा ब्राह्मण बड़े संकोचमें पड़ गये

Transliteration

bhuktvā tān api saktūn sa naiva tuṣṭo babhūva ha | ucchavṛttis tu dharmātmā brāhmaṇo 'nujagāma ha ||

Translation

Even after eating those morsels of saktu, he still was not satisfied. Seeing this, the righteous Brahmin who lived by gleaning followed along, inwardly troubled and hesitant, anxious to uphold the duty of hospitality while the guest’s hunger remained unappeased.

Word by Word

भुक्त्वाhaving eaten

तान्those

अपिalso/even

सक्तून्parched grain-flour/roasted barley meal

सःhe

नnot

एवindeed/just

तुष्टःsatisfied/content

बभूवbecame/was

हindeed (particle)

उज्छवृत्तिःone living by gleaning/leftovers (a mendicant mode of living)

तुbut/indeed

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

बत्रीडाम्Batrīḍā (proper name; reading uncertain)

अनुजगामfollowed

हindeed (particle)

Speaker

पुत्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

putra (the son, narrator/speaker)

brāhmaṇa (the righteous Brahmin living by ucchavṛtti)

saktūn (roasted barley-flour as food)

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 the ethical pressure of atithi-dharma (duty to a guest): even when one offers what little one has, a righteous person feels responsible if the guest remains unsatisfied, and seeks a dharmic way to respond.

What is happening in the narrative?

A guest eats the offered saktu yet remains hungry. The austere Brahmin, who lives by gleaning, notices this and follows along anxiously, implying he is searching for a way to provide further help despite limited means.