Shloka 24

Devanagari script

दत्त्वातिथिभ्यो देवेभ्य: पितृभ्य: स्वजनाय च । अवशिष्टानि ये<श्रन्ति तानाहुर्विघसाशिन:,महाभारत <८७७७ सुवर्णमय पक्षीके रूपमें देवराज इन्द्रका संन्यासी बने हुए ब्राह्मण-बालकोंको उपदेश क्योंकि विघसाशी पुरुष प्रात:-सायंकाल विधि-विधानपूर्वक अपने कुटुम्बमें अन्नका विभाग करके दुर्जय अविनाशी पदको प्राप्त कर लेते हैं। देवताओं, पितरों, अतिथियों तथा अपने परिवारके अन्य सब लोगोंको अन्न देकर जो सबसे पीछे अवशिष्ट अन्न खाते हैं, उन्हें विघसाशी कहा गया है

Transliteration

dattvātithibhyo devebhyaḥ pitṛbhyaḥ svajanāya ca | avaśiṣṭāni yeśnanti tān āhur vighasāśinaḥ ||

Translation

అతిథులకు, దేవతలకు, పితృదేవతలకు, స్వజనులకు అన్నం ఇచ్చి, చివరికి మిగిలినదే తినేవారిని ‘విఘసాశులు’ అంటారు.

Word by Word

दत्त्वाhaving given

अतिथिभ्यःto guests

देवेभ्यःto the gods

पितृभ्यःto the ancestors (pitṛs)

स्वजनायto one’s own people/family

चand

अवशिष्टानिthe remaining (leftover things/food)

येwho

अश्नन्तिeat

तान्them

आहुःthey call / they say

विघसाशिनःleftover-eaters (those who eat what remains last)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Atithi (guest)

Deva (gods)

Pitṛ (ancestors)

Svajana (kinsmen/family)

Vighasāśin (one who eats leftovers)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Serve and honor guests, gods, ancestors, and family before oneself; eating only what remains symbolizes self-restraint and prioritizing dharma over personal appetite.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker defines the term ‘vighasāśin’ by describing a disciplined household practice: distributing food first to those owed reverence and care, and only then consuming the remainder.