Shloka 5
भूतानि मुनयो देव्यस्तथा पितृगणाश्च ये । वाचकं पूजयेच्छक्त्या वस्त्रान्नै: स्वर्णभूषणै:,ब्राह्मणोंके संतुष्ट होनेपर पाण्डव, ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, रुद्र, इन्द्र, देवगण, भूतगण, मुनिगण, देवियाँ तथा पितृगण--ये सभी संतुष्ट होते हैं। अपनी शक्तिके अनुसार अन्न-वस्त्र और आभूषण देकर वाचककी पूजा करनी चाहिये
bhūtāni munayo devyas tathā pitṛgaṇāś ca ye | vācakaṁ pūjayec chaktyā vastrānnaiḥ svarṇabhūṣaṇaiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “All those—spirits and elemental beings, sages, goddesses, and the hosts of the Pitṛs—are gratified when the Brāhmaṇas are gratified. Therefore, according to one’s capacity, one should honor the reciter (of sacred lore) with offerings of food and clothing, and with ornaments of gold.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that honoring learned Brāhmaṇas and the sacred reciter is a dharmic act whose benefit radiates outward: when such custodians of sacred knowledge are satisfied, many classes of beings—including ancestors—are considered satisfied. One should give within one’s means (śaktyā), emphasizing proportional generosity rather than display.
Vaiśampāyana, in the course of Vana Parva’s instruction-oriented narration, states a rule of religious conduct: the proper way to honor a vācaka (reciter/expositor) is through respectful worship and gifts such as food, clothing, and gold ornaments, framed as a means of pleasing broader divine and ancestral constituencies.