Shloka 9

Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)

Devanagari script

सुसंस्कृतानि प्रयता: शुचीनि गुणवन्ति च | ददत्यन्नानि तृप्त्यर्थ ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

susaṃskṛtāni prayatāḥ śucīni guṇavanti ca | dadaty annāni tṛptyarthaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Oh Yudhishthira, con cuidado y autodisciplina ofrecen a los brahmanes alimentos bien preparados, puros y saludables, con el propósito de dejarlos satisfechos».

Word by Word

सुसंस्कृतानिwell-prepared, well-cooked

प्रयताःself-controlled, attentive

शुचीनिpure, clean

गुणवन्तिexcellent, possessing good qualities

चand

ददतिthey give

अन्नानिfoods, meals

तृप्त्यर्थम्for the sake of satisfaction (to satiate)

ब्राह्मणेभ्यःto the Brahmins

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brāhmaṇas

Food (anna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that charity is not merely giving, but giving rightly: food should be properly prepared, pure, and of good quality, offered with careful attention and the intention to genuinely satisfy worthy recipients (here, brāhmaṇas).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. In this verse he describes the proper manner of offering food—carefully prepared and pure—to brāhmaṇas as part of righteous conduct.