Shloka 17
Āraṇyaka-parva Adhyāya 199: Dharmavyādha on Svakarma, Vidhi, and the Limits of Ahiṃsā
शिबे अन्नार्थ्यस्मीति तमब्रवीच्छिबि: कि क्रियतामाज्ञापयतु भवानिति,“यदि आपके साथ हममेंसे एकमात्र शिबिको ही स्वर्गलोकमें जाना हो तो वहाँसे पहले कौन उतरेगा?' ऐसा प्रश्न होनेपर नारदजीने फिर कहा--'शिबि जायँगे और मैं उतरूँगा। “इसमें क्या कारण है?” यह पूछे जानेपर देवर्षि नारदने कहा--“मैं राजा शिबिके समान नहीं हूँ, क्योंकि एक दिन एक ब्राह्मणने शिबिसे कहा--'शिबे! मैं भोजन करना चाहता हूँ।' राजाने पूछा--“आपके लिये क्या रसोई बनायी जाय, आज्ञा कीजिये”
śibe annārthī asmīti tam abravīc chibiḥ—kiṁ kriyatām ājñāpayatu bhavān iti | “yadi āpake sātha asmam̐se ekamātraḥ śibiko hi svargalokam̐ meṁ jānā ho to vahām̐ se pahale kauna utaregā?” iti praśne jāte nāradajīne punaḥ uvāca—“śibi yāsyanti, ahaṁ utariṣyāmi।” “asmin kiṁ kāraṇam?” iti pṛṣṭe devarṣi-nārada uvāca—“ahaṁ rājā śibi-samo na asmi, yataḥ ekadā ekaḥ brāhmaṇaḥ śibim avadat—‘śibe! ahaṁ bhojanaṁ kartum icchāmi।’ rājā apṛcchat—‘bhavate kim pākaḥ kriyatām? ājñā diśatu।’”
Vaiśampāyana said: King Śibi addressed him, “I am in need of food—tell me what should be done; please command me.” Then, when the question was raised—“If only one among us, namely Śibi, is to go to heaven, who will descend first from there?”—Nārada replied again, “Śibi will go, and I will descend.” When asked, “What is the reason for this?” the divine sage Nārada said, “I am not equal to King Śibi. For once a brāhmaṇa said to Śibi, ‘O Śibi, I wish to eat.’ The king asked, ‘What kind of meal shall be prepared for you? Please give your instruction.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the dharma of atithi-sevā (honouring a guest) and selfless generosity: Śibi’s immediate concern is to serve a brāhmaṇa’s need for food, and Nārada acknowledges that such unwavering hospitality and readiness to act for others’ welfare surpass his own merit.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a dialogue where a question arises about who would go to heaven and who would return first. Nārada states that Śibi will attain heaven while he himself will descend, explaining that Śibi’s exemplary conduct is proven by an incident in which the king promptly offered to prepare whatever meal a brāhmaṇa desired.