Shloka 71
गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः
ततः सुवासिनीदुःखिगर्भिणीवृद्धबालकान् भोजयेत् संस्कृतान्नेन प्रथमं चरमं गृही
tataḥ suvāsinīduḥkhigarbhiṇīvṛddhabālakān bhojayet saṃskṛtānnena prathamaṃ caramaṃ gṛhī
Thereafter, the householder should feed—first and before himself—honoured women, the distressed, pregnant women, the aged, and children, with properly prepared and sanctified food; and only then should he himself eat, as the last.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Order of feeding in the household—priority to honored women and vulnerable persons before the householder eats.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate, practical
Concept: The gṛhastha must prioritize feeding honored women, the distressed, pregnant women, the elderly, and children with consecrated food, eating only after them as an act of dharmic protection.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Center daily life around care for dependents and the vulnerable; make meals an occasion for generosity, not entitlement.
Vishishtadvaita: Household dharma becomes embodied bhakti: nurturing Sri-like auspiciousness (śrī) through protection and nourishment of those under one’s care.
Bhakti Type: Dasya
Lakshmi Presence: Sri
FAQs
This verse frames household life as dharma-in-action: the gṛhastha preserves social order by prioritizing those who must be protected—women to be honored, the distressed, pregnant women, elders, and children—before personal consumption.
Parāśara teaches an order of eating: food should be prepared in a refined, ritually fit way and offered first to those deserving care; the householder eats last, embodying restraint and responsibility.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana presents dharma as aligned with the Supreme’s sustaining function: protecting dependents and honoring rightful recipients becomes a lived form of devotion to the cosmic preserver.