Shloka 31

Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)

Devanagari script

वामहस्ताद्तं चान्न॑ भक्तं पर्युषितं च यत्‌

Transliteration

vāma-hastād taṃ cānnaṃ bhaktaṃ paryuṣitaṃ ca yat

Translation

Vyāsa dit : «Et encore la nourriture servie de la main gauche : celle qui a déjà été distribuée en parts et celle qui, gardée d’une nuit à l’autre, est devenue rance.»

Word by Word

• वामहस्तात्: from the left hand
• वामहस्तात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामहस्त
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भक्तम्: given/served (as a portion)
• भक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पर्युषितम्: stale (kept overnight)
• पर्युषितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्युषित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• food (anna/bhakta)
• left hand (vāma-hasta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights standards of proper conduct and purity around food—warning against what is considered improper (left-handed serving) and unsuitable (stale/overnight food) within a dharma-oriented ethical framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is describing the nature/quality of food being offered or handled, specifying that it was served from the left hand and that it was already portioned and stale, as part of a broader discussion on right conduct and norms.