Shloka 37
Narrative of King Pṛthu: Chastising and Milking the Earth
ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषेणअतिथिभ्यस्तथैव च । पश्चाद्भुंजंति पुण्यास्ताः प्रजाः सर्वा द्विजोत्तमाः
brāhmaṇebhyo viśeṣeṇaatithibhyastathaiva ca | paścādbhuṃjaṃti puṇyāstāḥ prajāḥ sarvā dvijottamāḥ
ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! ആ പുണ്യശീലരായ പ്രജകൾ ആദ്യം പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കും അതുപോലെ അതിഥികൾക്കും ഭോജനം നൽകി, പിന്നീടാണ് തങ്ങൾ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നത്।
Unknown (context not provided; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue framework of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: One should eat only after honoring brāhmaṇas and guests; self-restraint and service sanctify food and life.
Application: Before meals, offer food to God (or mentally dedicate), serve elders/guests, donate a portion, and cultivate the habit of eating last—reducing greed and increasing gratitude.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene Vaiṣṇava household courtyard becomes a sanctified altar: a gṛhastha couple offers freshly cooked rice, ghee, and vegetables first to seated brāhmaṇas and a weary traveler-guest. Only after their blessings does the family sit modestly to eat, with a small lamp and a tulasī pot nearby, suggesting that hospitality itself is worship.","primary_figures":["gṛhastha couple","brāhmaṇas","atithi (traveler/guest)","child offering water (optional)"],"setting":"village courtyard with rangoli, low wooden seats, banana-leaf plates, water pot (kalaśa), tulasī-vṛndāvana at the side","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron ochre","warm lamp-gold","leaf green","earth brown","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dharmic household scene where the gṛhastha offers anna-dāna to brāhmaṇas and an atithi before eating; gold leaf halos subtly around the honored guests as embodiments of Nārāyaṇa; rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-studded vessels, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing, luminous lamp glow.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard hospitality—delicate brushwork, refined faces, soft textiles, banana-leaf plates; cool yet warm-toned palette with lyrical naturalism; distant trees and a small tulasī shrine; gentle gestures of offering water and food, fine architectural lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; the gṛhastha couple in traditional attire offering food to seated brāhmaṇas and a traveler; stylized eyes, rhythmic composition, red/yellow/green dominance; a glowing nilavilakku lamp and tulasī-vṛndāvana anchoring the sacred mood.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a Vaishnava anna-sevā tableau framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; subtle presence of Śrī Viṣṇu as an unseen recipient through the brāhmaṇas/atithi; deep blues and gold accents, decorative patterns on vessels, peacocks at the border, devotional domestic sanctity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells (distant)","soft conch (faint)","clinking of vessels","evening silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विशेषेणअतिथिभ्यस्→विशेषेण अतिथिभ्यः; पश्चाद्भुंजंति→पश्चात् भुञ्जन्ति; पुण्यास्ताः→पुण्याः ताः. ‘द्विजोत्तमाः’ here functions as संबोधनार्थक despite nominative form (common in epic/purāṇic usage).
FAQs
It teaches that one should first serve brāhmaṇas and guests (atithis) and only then eat oneself, presenting hospitality as a primary ethical duty.
Brāhmaṇas represent custodians of Vedic learning and ritual merit, while guests are to be treated as sacred arrivals; serving them first is portrayed as a mark of virtue (puṇya).
The address frames the instruction as a normative standard for dharmic conduct, highlighting self-restraint and prioritizing others’ needs before one’s own.