Shloka 96
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
तोयपूर्व प्रदायान्नमतिथि भ्यो विशाम्पते । पश्चाद् भुञज्जीत मेधावी न चाप्यन्यमना नर:
toyapūrvaṃ pradāyānnam atithibhyo viśāmpate | paścād bhuñjīta medhāvī na cāpy anyamanā naraḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai tuan rakyat sekalian, setelah terlebih dahulu mempersembahkan air dan kemudian makanan kepada para tetamu, barulah orang bijaksana makan; dan ketika itu pun janganlah ia makan dengan fikiran yang lalai.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hospitality is a primary duty: one should first honor guests by offering water and food, and only then eat oneself; moreover, eating should be done with attentive, undistracted mind as part of disciplined conduct (dharma).
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on righteous conduct (dharma), he addresses the king and lays down a rule of household ethics: prioritize the needs of guests through proper offerings, then partake of one’s meal with mental composure.