Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 216

Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda

Householder Duties and Daily Offerings

Devanagari script

अर्चयेन्मधुपर्केण परिसंवत्सरोषितान्‌ | श्रीकृष्ण! गृहस्थ पुरुषको सदा यज्ञशिष्ट अन्नका ही भोजन करना चाहिये। राजा

Transliteration

arcayen madhupārkeṇa pari-saṃvatsaroṣitān | śrīkṛṣṇa! gṛhasthaḥ puruṣaḥ sadā yajña-śiṣṭa-annakaḥ hi bhojanaṃ kartavyaṃ | rājā, ṛtvijaḥ, snātakaḥ, guruḥ, śvaśuraḥ—ete yadi eka-varṣāt paraṃ gṛham āgaccheyuḥ tarhi madhupārkeṇa eṣāṃ pūjā kartavyā |

Translation

ວາຍຸກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ສີຣີກຣິດສະນະ! ຜູ້ໃດທີ່ຢູ່ຫ່າງໄປຄົບໜຶ່ງປີ ຄວນໄດ້ຮັບການຍົກຍ້ອງດ້ວຍການຖວາຍ ‘ມະທຸປາຣກະ’ (madhupārka). ຄົນຄອບຄົວຄວນກິນແຕ່ອາຫານທີ່ເຫຼືອຈາກຍັດ (yajña-śiṣṭa) ຢູ່ເທົ່ານັ້ນ ເພາະນັ້ນແມ່ນກົດທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງແຫ່ງຊີວິດ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຖ້າກະສັດ, ພຣາຫມະນະຜູ້ປະກອບພິທີ (ṛtvij), ສະນາຕະກະ (snātaka), ຄູອາຈານ (guru), ຫຼື ພໍ່ເຂີຍ ກັບມາບ້ານຫຼັງຈາກໜຶ່ງປີ ຄວນຕ້ອນຮັບ ແລະບູຊາດ້ວຍມະທຸປາຣກະ.”

Word by Word

• अर्चयेत्: should worship/honor
• अर्चयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• मधुपर्केण: with madhūparka (a honey-mixture offering)
• मधुपर्केण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुपर्क
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• परिसंवत्सर: a full year
• परिसंवत्सर: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिसंवत्सर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• उषितान्: those who have stayed (away)
• उषितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस् (उष्/उषित)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• श्रीकृष्ण (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• मधुपर्क (madhupārka)
• राजा (king)
• ऋत्विज (ṛtvij)
• स्नातक (snātaka)
• गुरु (guru)
• श्वशुर (father-in-law)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A householder’s dharma includes disciplined eating (only yajña-śiṣṭa, sanctified food) and formal hospitality: eminent or venerable persons returning after a long absence (a year) should be received with the honorific madhupārka offering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses Śrī Kṛṣṇa while laying down conduct-rules for householders, specifying who deserves special reception and the ritual form (madhupārka) when such guests arrive after a year away.