Shloka 1
Agastya-Māhātmya and Vasiṣṭha’s Protection of the Ādityas
Khalina Daityas; Sarayū Etiology
औपनआक्रात बछ। सर: पजञ्चत्रिशर्दाधिकशततमोब् ध्याय: जिनका अन्न ग्रहण करने योग्य है और जिनका ग्रहण करने योग्य नहीं है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | bhojyā brāhmaṇasyeha ke bhojyāḥ kṣatriyasya ha | tathā vaiśyasya ke bhojyāḥ ke śūdrasya ca bhārata ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô Bhārata, en ce monde, de quelles mains convient-il à un brāhmane d’accepter la nourriture ? De quelles mains convient-il à un kṣatriya ? De même, de qui un vaiśya peut-il accepter la nourriture, et de qui un śūdra ?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an inquiry into dharma concerning food acceptance: which sources of food are considered permissible or impermissible for each varṇa, implying that ethical conduct, purity, and the character of the giver affect what may be accepted.
Yudhiṣṭhira initiates a discussion by asking Bhīṣma (addressed here as ‘Bhārata’) to specify the proper households or persons from whom members of the four varṇas may take food, setting up a detailed ethical discourse in the chapter.