Shloka 8

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

विघसाशी कथं च स्याद्‌ सदा चैवातिथिप्रिय: । अमृताशी सदा च स्यात्‌ पवित्री च सदा भवेत्‌

Transliteration

vighasāśī kathaṃ ca syād sadā caivātithipriyaḥ | amṛtāśī sadā ca syāt pavitrī ca sadā bhavet ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—మనిషి ఎలా ‘విఘసాశి’ అవగలడు—అంటే ఇతరులను తృప్తిపరచిన తరువాత మిగిలినదే భుజించువాడు—మరియు ఎల్లప్పుడూ అతిథి సత్కారంలో ప్రీతిపడువాడిగా ఎలా ఉండగలడు? అతడు అమృతాన్ని భుజించునట్లుగా ఎలా జీవించి, ఆచరణతో నిరంతరం పవిత్రుడై ఉండగలడు?

Word by Word

विघसाशीone who eats remnants (after others)

कथम्how

चand

स्यात्would be / should be

सदाalways

चand

एवindeed / just

अतिथिप्रियःfond of guests

अमृताशीone who eats ambrosia (nectar) / one whose food is nectar

सदाalways

चand

स्यात्would be / should be

पवित्रीpurifier; purifying (one/thing)

चand

सदाalways

भवेत्would become / should be

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse points to dharma expressed through hospitality and self-restraint: one should prioritize feeding others (especially guests) before oneself, thereby cultivating purity and a life that feels ‘nectar-like’ through righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he frames an inquiry about the disciplines and attitudes by which a person becomes devoted to guests, eats only after serving others, and attains a consistently purifying way of life.