Shloka 18
अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
रसालापूपकांश्रित्रानू मोदकानथ खाण्डवान् | रसान् नानाप्रकारांश्व वन्यं च मुनिभोजनम्
bhīṣma uvāca | rasālāpūpakāṃś cāpi trīn modakān atha khāṇḍavān | rasān nānāprakārāṃś ca vanyaṃ ca munibhojanam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Par crainte d’une malédiction, le roi avait fait apporter et disposer quantité de mets délicats : boissons sucrées et sirops, gâteaux et pâtisseries, divers modaka (douceurs en boulettes), préparations de sucre candi, et des jus de toutes sortes ; il y avait aussi des nourritures de la forêt convenant aux sages—racines et tubercules sauvages, fruits variés—ainsi que de nombreux plats ordinairement réservés aux rois, et des aliments appropriés aux chefs de maison comme aux ermites des bois.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights dharmic hospitality: a ruler should provide appropriate, varied, and context-sensitive food—fit for sages as well as for royal guests—showing respect and restraint, especially when moral consequences (such as a curse) are at stake.
Bhishma describes how a king, fearing the repercussions of offending holy persons, urgently procures and presents an extensive spread of foods—sweets, drinks, and forest fare suitable for ascetics—along with items typically enjoyed in royal households.