Shloka 12
ऋभु–निदाघ-संवादः—अद्वैत-उपदेशः, समता, वासुदेव-स्वरूप-एकत्वम्
सक्तुयावकवाट्यानाम् अपूपानां च मे गृहे यद् रोचते द्विजश्रेष्ठ तत् त्वं भुङ्क्ष्व यथेच्छया
saktuyāvakavāṭyānām apūpānāṃ ca me gṛhe yad rocate dvijaśreṣṭha tat tvaṃ bhuṅkṣva yathecchayā
In my home there are barley-gruel, barley-cakes, and sweet apūpa cakes. Whatever pleases you, O best of the twice-born, eat that freely, as you desire.
A householder/host addressing an honored Brahmin guest (dvijaśreṣṭha) within the dynastic narrative recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya
Concept: Honoring a brāhmaṇa guest with whatever one has, without constraint, is a concrete expression of dharma.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice hospitality and generosity within one’s means, prioritizing respect over display.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma as service to Bhagavān’s devotees (bhāgavata-sevā) becomes a lived mode of devotion.
FAQs
This verse presents feeding an honored guest—especially a learned dvija—as a direct expression of dharma, sustaining social and sacred order within the Purana’s moral universe.
Through embedded scenes like this, Parāśara shows that dharma is not only royal governance or ritual theory but also ordinary righteous conduct—offering food, respect, and freedom of choice to a guest.
Though Vishnu is not named here, the ethic of honoring guests and sustaining dharma reflects the Purana’s view that social righteousness participates in Vishnu’s sovereignty as the preserver of cosmic order.