Shloka 12

Devanagari script

आहारेणाथ भक्ष्यैश्न भोज्यै: सुमधुरैस्तथा । उच्छिष्ट भाविता भर्तुर्भुड्धक्ते नित्यं युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

āhāreṇātha bhakṣyaiś ca bhojyaiḥ sumadhurais tathā | ucchiṣṭa-bhāvitā bhartur bhṛtya-bhakte nityaṁ yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, ia memang menyantap aneka makanan—kudapan dan hidangan manis—namun semuanya hanyalah sisa setelah suaminya makan. Demikianlah ia hidup setiap hari, menerima sisa sang suami sebagai bagiannya.

Word by Word

आहारेणby/with food (diet)

अथthen/and

भक्ष्यैःwith eatables (solid foods)

चand

भोज्यैःwith foods fit to be eaten (dishes)

सुमधुरैःwith very sweet (ones)

तथाthus/likewise

उच्छिष्टleftover food; leavings

भाविताmade/treated; prepared (as)

भर्तुःof the husband/lord

भुङ्क्तेeats/partakes

नित्यम्always

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Yudhiṣṭhira

bhartṛ (husband/lord)

ucchiṣṭa (leftover food/remnants)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethic of humble, disciplined devotion within household life: placing duty and service above personal preference, symbolized by accepting even sweet foods only after the husband has eaten.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a woman’s daily conduct to Yudhiṣṭhira: she consistently eats only her husband’s leftovers, portraying steadfast, servant-like loyalty and self-effacing dedication.