Shloka 433
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
कथयन्ति सम पुरुषा नानादेशनिवासिन: । “जिसकी जैसी इच्छा हो, उसको वही वस्तु दी जाय। सबको इच्छानुसार भोजन कराया जाय'--यह घोषणा दिन-रात जारी रहती थी--कभी बंद नहीं होती थी। हृष्ट-पुष्ट मनुष्योंसे भरे हुए उस यज्ञ-महोत्सवकी चर्चा नाना देशोंके निवासी मनुष्य बहुत दिनोंतक करते रहे
kathayanti sama puruṣā nānādeśanivāsinaḥ | “yasyā yasyecchā bhavet tasmai sā vastur dīyatām | sarvān icchānusāreṇa bhojayitavyāḥ” iti ghoṣaṇā divāniśaṃ pravartate sma—na kadācit viramati sma | hṛṣṭapuṣṭamanuṣyair bhṛtasya tasya yajñamahotsavasya kathāṃ nānādeśanivāsino manuṣyā bahūn ahān kathayām āsuḥ ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「諸国から来た人々は、それを語り継いでやまなかった。昼夜絶えることのない布告があった――『各人の望むものを、その望むままに与えよ。すべての者に、望みどおりの食を供せよ』と。久しいあいだ、旅人も各地の住民も、歓喜し満ち足りた人々であふれるその供犠の大祭の名声を語り続けた。そこには、惜しみない饗応と万人への配慮として現れた王の務めが映し出されていた。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic ideal of kingship and ritual: generosity is not merely symbolic but practical—meeting people’s needs and wishes through continuous giving and feeding. Ethical excellence is shown as inclusive hospitality that sustains communal well-being.
During the great sacrificial festival, an unceasing public announcement instructs attendants to give each person what they desire and to feed everyone accordingly. People from many regions later continue to talk about the event’s abundance and the thriving, satisfied crowds.