Shloka 27
मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite
यतेद् ब्राह्मणपूर्व हि भोक्तुमन्नं गृही सदा । अवन्ध्यं दिवसं कुर्यादन्नदानेन मानव:
yated brāhmaṇa-pūrvaṁ hi bhoktum annaṁ gṛhī sadā | avandhyaṁ divasaṁ kuryād anna-dānena mānavaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Le maître de maison doit toujours s’efforcer de ne manger qu’après avoir d’abord nourri un brāhmaṇa. Par l’aumône de nourriture, qu’il rende chaque jour fécond et qu’il ne le laisse pas se perdre en vain.»
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches gṛhastha-dharma: a householder should prioritize hospitality and food-charity—symbolically placing service to worthy recipients (here, a brāhmaṇa) before personal consumption—so that each day becomes spiritually meaningful rather than wasted.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a practical rule of conduct for householders, emphasizing daily discipline in giving food and honoring guests/recipients before attending to oneself.