Shloka 84
Sūrya-stava: Dhaumya’s Counsel and the Aṣṭaśata-nāma of Sūrya
युधिष्ठिरं भोजयित्वा शेषमश्नाति पार्षती । द्रौपद्यां भुज्यमानायां तदन्न॑ क्षयमेति च । एवं दिवाकरात् प्राप्प दिवाकरसमप्रभ:,युधिष्ठिको भोजन कराकर द्रौपदी शेष अन्न स्वयं खाती थी। द्रौपदीके भोजन कर लेनेपर उस पात्रका अन्न समाप्त हो जाता था। इस प्रकार सूर्यसे मनोवांछित वरोंको पाकर उन्हींके समान तेजस्वी प्रभावशाली राजा युधिष्ठिर ब्राह्मणोंको नियमपूर्वक अन्नदान करने लगे। पुरोहितोंको आगे करके उत्तम तिथि, नक्षत्र एवं पर्वोपर विधि और मन्त्रके प्रमाणके अनुसार उनके यज्ञसम्बन्धी कार्य होने लगे
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
yudhiṣṭhiraṁ bhojayitvā śeṣam aśnāti pārṣatī |
draupadyāṁ bhujyamānāyāṁ tad annaṁ kṣayam eti ca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: After feeding Yudhiṣṭhira, Pārṣatī (Draupadī) would eat what remained. And once Draupadī had begun to eat, the food in that vessel would come to an end. (Thus the divine provision was governed by a rule of restraint and order: first hospitality and duty, then personal need.)
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a divine gift is framed by dharma: hospitality and responsibility come first, personal consumption comes last. The ‘inexhaustible’ supply is ethically conditioned—once Draupadī begins to eat, the provision ends—teaching restraint, order, and mindful stewardship.
The verse describes the operating rule of the (implied) Akṣaya-pātra: Yudhiṣṭhira is fed first, then Draupadī eats the remainder; after Draupadī starts eating, the food in the vessel is exhausted for that day.