Shloka 11
Virūpākṣa’s Dāna and Gautama’s Burden — the approach of Rājadharma
भक्ष्यं पेयमथालेहां यच्चान्यत् साधु भोजनम् । प्रेक्षमाणेषु यो5श्रीयान्रशंसमिति त॑ वदेत्,जो मनुष्य दूसरोंके देखते रहनेपर भी उत्तम भक्ष्य, पेय, लेह्म तथा दूसरे-दूसरे भोज्य पदार्थोंको अकेला ही खा जाता है, उसको भी नृशंस ही कहना चाहिये
bhakṣyaṃ peyam athālehāṃ yac cānyat sādhu bhojanam | prekṣamāṇeṣu yo 'śrīyān raśaṃsam iti taṃ vadet ||
Bhishma berkata: “Sama ada makanan pejal, minuman, manisan yang dijilat, atau apa jua hidangan yang baik—jika seseorang, ketika orang lain memandang, memakan bahagian terbaik seorang diri, dia patut digelar ‘nṛśaṃsa’ (kejam dan berhati rendah).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hoarding the best food for oneself in front of others is condemned as nṛśaṃsatā—cruel, ignoble conduct. The verse upholds generosity, consideration for others, and restraint as marks of dharmic behavior.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhishma is teaching Yudhishthira ethical norms. Here he gives a concrete example: a person who consumes the choicest food alone while others watch is to be morally censured.