Shloka 2.61.12

कौसल्याविलापः — Kausalya’s Lament and Ethical Analogies on Kingship

Devanagari script

भोजयन्ति किल श्राद्धे केचित्स्वानेव बान्धवान्।ततः पश्चात्समीक्षन्ते कृतकार्या द्विजर्षभान्।।2.61.12।।

Transliteration

bhojayanti kila śrāddhe kecit svān eva bāndhavān |

tataḥ paścāt samīkṣante kṛtakāryā dvijarṣabhān ||

Translation

Some, it is said, at a śrāddha first feed only their own kinsmen; then afterward—thinking their duty fulfilled—they seek out the best of brāhmaṇas.

Context

Some first feed their own relatives in shraddha ceremony and thereafter look for the best of brahmins to feed.

Characters & Entities

• śrāddha
• relatives (bāndhava)
• brāhmaṇas (dvija)
• dvijarṣabha

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma includes proper order and respect in ritual and society: honoring the worthy is not an afterthought but a principled priority.

What is the narrative situation?

Kauśalyā uses a ritual analogy to argue that what is ‘rightful’ should not be treated as secondary or leftover.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kauśalyā’s rhetorical wisdom—she frames political injustice through a culturally understood ethical example.