Shloka 2

Agastya-Māhātmya and Vasiṣṭha’s Protection of the Ādityas

Khalina Daityas; Sarayū Etiology

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ब्राह्मणा ब्राह्मणस्येह भोज्या ये चैव क्षत्रिया: । वैश्याश्चापि तथा भोज्या: शूद्राश्न॒ परिवर्जिता:,भीष्मजीने कहा--बेटा! इस लोकमें ब्राह्मणको ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय तथा वैश्यके घर भोजन करना चाहिये। शूद्रके घर भोजन करना उसके लिये निषिद्ध है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇasyeha bhojyā ye caiva kṣatriyāḥ | vaiśyāś cāpi tathā bhojyāḥ śūdrāśn̥aḥ parivarjitāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: «Hijo mío, en este mundo, para un brāhmaṇa es apropiado aceptar alimento en las casas de brāhmaṇas, y asimismo en las de kṣatriyas; y también en las de vaiśyas. Comer en la casa de un śūdra debe evitarse (para él).»

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

ब्राह्मणाःBrahmins

ब्राह्मणस्यof a Brahmin / for a Brahmin

इहhere, in this world

भोज्याःare to be dined at / are fit to be eaten-from (i.e., whose food may be eaten)

येwho, those who

चand

एवindeed, also

क्षत्रियाःKshatriyas

वैश्याःVaishyas

चand

अपिalso

तथाlikewise, in the same way

भोज्याःare to be dined at / are fit (as hosts whose food may be eaten)

शूद्राःShudras

नnot

परिवर्जिताःto be avoided, excluded

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmin (Brāhmaṇa)

Kshatriya (Kṣatriya)

Vaishya (Vaiśya)

Shudra (Śūdra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma states a rule of conduct (ācāra) for Brahmins regarding from whom they may accept and eat food: it is permitted from Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas, while eating at a Shudra’s house is to be avoided.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising on proper social and ethical conduct, here specifying norms about permissible hospitality and food-acceptance for a Brahmin.