Shloka 12
Agastya-Māhātmya and Vasiṣṭha’s Protection of the Ādityas
Khalina Daityas; Sarayū Etiology
शूद्रकर्मस्वथैतेषु यो भुड्धक्ते निरपत्रप: । अभोज्यभोजन भुकक्त्वा भयं प्राप्रोति दारुणम्
śūdrakarmasv athaiteṣu yo bhuṅkte nirapatrapaḥ | abhojyabhojanaṃ bhuktvā bhayaṃ prāpnoti dāruṇam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «L’homme sans pudeur qui mange dans la maison de ces deux-fois-nés alors qu’ils se livrent à des conduites et à des métiers propres au Śūdra commet la faute de consommer ce qui ne doit pas être mangé ; il encourt dès lors une effroyable terreur.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that accepting and eating food in a context deemed adharmic—here, from twice-born persons behaving in ways classified as Śūdra-like—amounts to consuming ‘abhojya’ (improper/forbidden food) and leads to severe negative consequences.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he lays down norms about proper conduct and the ethics of accepting food; he cautions that shamelessly eating in such circumstances brings dreadful fear and suffering.