Shloka 296
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
चिकित्सकस्य यच्चान्नमभोज्यं रक्षिणस्तथा । “जिसने यज्ञकी दीक्षा ली हो उसका अन्न अग्निषोमीय होमविशेषके पहले अग्राह्म है। कंजूस
cikitsakasya yac cānnam abhojyaṃ rakṣiṇas tathā |
വൈദ്യന്റെ അന്നവും ഭോജ്യമല്ല; അതുപോലെ കാവൽക്കാരന്റെ (രക്ഷിയുടെ) അന്നവും അഭോജ്യമാണ്।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that one pursuing dharma should be discerning about food sources, since food is linked to character, livelihood, and moral/ritual purity; thus some occupations are traditionally treated as rendering food ‘abhojya’ (to be avoided).
In Śānti Parva’s dharma-instruction setting, Vyāsa is enumerating categories of food considered unsuitable, as part of a larger discourse on righteous living, discipline, and the ethical implications of association and livelihood.