Shloka 9

Jñāna-yoga and Karma-phala: Manu–Bṛhaspati on Akṣara and the Limits of Mantra

Devanagari script

अतिथीनां च सर्वेषां प्रेष्याणां स्वजनस्य च । सामान्य भोजन भृत्यै: पुरुषस्य प्रशस्यते

Transliteration

atithīnāṁ ca sarveṣāṁ preṣyāṇāṁ svajanasya ca | sāmānyaṁ bhojanaṁ bhṛtyaiḥ puruṣasya praśasyate ||

Translation

ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ສຳລັບແຂກທັງປວງ, ສຳລັບຄົນຮັບໃຊ້, ແລະສຳລັບຍາດພີ່ນ້ອງຂອງຕົນດ້ວຍ, ການໃຫ້ອາຫານເປັນຢ່າງດຽວກັນ ແມ່ນຖືກສັນລະເສີນວ່າເປັນຄວາມປະພຶດອັນຄວນຂອງຄົນເຮືອນ—ແບ່ງປັນໂດຍບໍ່ເລືອກປະຕິບັດ. ຄຳສອນນີ້ຍ້ຳເນັ້ນທຳມະຂອງຄົນເຮືອນ: ການຕ້ອນຮັບແຂກ ແລະການປະພຶດຢ່າງຍຸດຕິທຳໃນເຮືອນ ບໍ່ແມ່ນມາລະຍາດທີ່ເຮັດຫຼືບໍ່ເຮັດກໍໄດ້, ແຕ່ເປັນໜ້າທີ່ທາງຈິດທຳ ທີ່ຄ້ຳຈຸນຄວາມກົມກຽວຂອງສັງຄົມ ແລະຄວາມຊອບທຳຂອງຕົນ.

Word by Word

• {'atithi': 'guest (one who arrives without a fixed appointment

• a recipient of hospitality)', 'sarveṣām': 'of all', 'preṣya': 'servant, attendant, one employed to carry out tasks', 'svajana': 'one’s own people

• family/kinsmen', 'sāmānya': 'common, equal, the same (without special distinction)', 'bhojana': 'food

• act of eating', 'bhṛtya': 'servant/retainer (one maintained by wages/support)', 'puruṣa': 'man

• person (here, the householder as an ethical agent)', 'praśasyate': 'is praised

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• guest (atithi)
• servants/attendants (preṣya, bhṛtya)
• family/kinsmen (svajana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A householder should provide the same meal to guests, servants, and family—practicing hospitality and fairness without partiality. Ethical living is shown through daily acts of equitable care.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on proper household conduct, highlighting how everyday domestic choices—like sharing food equally—embody righteousness.