Shloka 21
भृत्यातिथिजनश्चवापि गृहे पर्यशितो मया । मात्सर्यात् स्वादुकामेन नृशंसेन बुभुक्षता
bhṛtyātithijanaś cāpi gṛhe paryaśito mayā | mātsaryāt svādukāmena nṛśaṃsena bubhukṣatā ||
Comía hasta hartarme en casa, aun cuando estaban presentes siervos, huéspedes y dependientes. Impulsado por la envidia, deseando sólo el placer del sabor, endurecido por la crueldad y el hambre, comía sin alimentar primero a quienes habían llegado a mi casa y a quienes confiaban en mí.
कीट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns selfish consumption and emphasizes atithi-dharma: one should feed guests, dependents, and those under one’s care before satisfying one’s own appetite. Envy and mere taste-craving are shown as ethical failings that lead to cruelty.
Kīṭa speaks in confession, admitting past wrongdoing: he would eat at home without offering food to guests and dependents, motivated by jealousy and the desire for tasty food, revealing moral decline and remorse.