Shloka 9
Rules of Edible and Inedible Foods
भार्य्याजितस्य चैवान्नं यस्य चोपपतिर्गृहे । उत्सृष्टस्य कदर्यस्य तथैवोच्छिष्टभोजिनः
bhāryyājitasya caivānnaṃ yasya copapatirgṛhe | utsṛṣṭasya kadaryasya tathaivocchiṣṭabhojinaḥ
भार्य्यावशस्य पुरुषस्य यदन्नं, यस्य गृहे चोपपतिः निवसति; उत्सृष्टदातुः कदर्यस्य तथा उच्छिष्टभोजिनश्च—एतान्यन्नानि वर्जनीयानि।
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 56)
Concept: Āhāra-śuddhi: the moral and relational context of food affects ritual purity and spiritual fitness.
Application: Be mindful of what you consume and from whom; avoid food tied to exploitation, infidelity, miserliness, or impurity; cultivate generosity and clean kitchen/serving practices before pūjā.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Vaishnava household kitchen becomes a moral mandala: some vessels glow with clean, sattvic radiance while others are shadowed by scenes of quarrel, infidelity, and stinginess. A sage-like figure gestures toward the offerings, teaching that unseen conduct stains the visible meal.","primary_figures":["a dharma-upadeśaka ṛṣi","a gṛhastha couple","a subtle presence of Viṣṇu as a distant sanctum icon"],"setting":"courtyard home with a small Viṣṇu shrine, cooking hearth, leaf-plates, water pot, and separate vessels marked ‘śuci/āśuci’","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp-flame amber","smoke gray","sandalwood beige","deep indigo","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a South Indian gṛhastha home with a small Viṣṇu altar in the background, gold-leaf halo around the shrine icon, the teacher-ṛṣi pointing to two sets of food vessels—one radiant and one darkened—rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-studded ornaments on the altar, strong frontal composition emphasizing ritual purity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: an intimate courtyard kitchen scene with delicate brushwork—women serving, a thoughtful sage instructing, subtle narrative vignettes of miserliness and domestic disorder in side panels; cool palette with lyrical naturalism, refined faces, patterned textiles, and a small Viṣṇu shrine under a flowering tree.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; a central ṛṣi teaching śauca before a lamp-lit Viṣṇu shrine, with symbolic panels showing ‘impure sources’ as dark silhouettes; characteristic large eyes, red/yellow/green dominance, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic ‘anna-śuddhi’ pichwai with lotus borders and peacocks; in the center a small Śrī Viṣṇu icon above a clean offering plate, while around the border appear narrative medallions of forbidden food sources; deep blues and gold accents, intricate floral motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","low drone (tanpura)","soft clink of vessels","night insects","brief silence between prohibitions"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव = च + एव; अन्नं (…एव + अन्नम्) shows vowel coalescence; चोपपतिः = च + उपपतिः; तथैवोच्छिष्टभोजिनः = तथा + एव + उच्छिष्टभोजिनः.
FAQs
It lists household situations and habits associated with moral/ritual impropriety—such as illicit relations in the home, miserliness, and eating impure remnants—framing them as spiritually blameworthy, especially in relation to food.
In classical dharma and ritual purity norms, ucchiṣṭa can denote food contaminated by another’s eating (and thus ritually impure). The verse uses it as an ethical-ritual marker of improper conduct.
Maintain integrity and purity in household life: avoid illicit relationships, uphold generosity rather than stinginess, and observe disciplined, respectful food practices.