Shloka 11

Devanagari script

शेषान्नभोक्ता वचनानुकूलो हितार्जवोत्कृष्टकृताकृतज्ञ: | अवैरकृद्‌ भूतहिते नियुक्तो गड़ाह्दाम्भोडभिजनोपपन्न:,यज्ञशेष अन्नका वह भोजन करता है, अनुकूल वचन बोलता है, हित और सरलभावसे रहता है। उत्कृष्ट कर्तव्य और अकर्तव्यको जानता है, किसीसे भी वैर नहीं करता है। समस्त प्राणियोंके हितमें लगा रहता है तथा वह गंगाजीके समान पवित्र एवं निर्मल कुलमें उत्पन्न हुआ है

Transliteration

śeṣānna-bhoktā vacanānukūlo hitārjavotkṛṣṭa-kṛtākṛta-jñaḥ | avaira-kṛd bhūta-hite niyukto gaṅgā-dāmbho(d)bhijano-upapannaḥ ||

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణుడు పలికెను— అతడు యజ్ఞశేషాన్నమే భుజిస్తాడు; అనుకూలమైన మాటలే పలుకుతాడు; హితకరమైనదానిలోనూ సరళతలోనూ నిలిచి ఉంటాడు. చేయవలసినది, చేయకూడనిది—ఇవన్నీ అతడికి స్పష్టంగా తెలుసు. అతడు ఎవరికీ వైరం చేయడు; సమస్త ప్రాణుల హితంలో నిమగ్నుడై ఉంటాడు; గంగాజలంలా పవిత్రమైన, నిర్మలమైన వంశంలో జన్మించినవాడు.

Word by Word

शेषान्नभोक्ताeater of the leftover food (from sacrifice)

वचनानुकूलःspeaking agreeable words

हितार्जवोत्कृष्टकृताकृतज्ञःknowing what is to be done and not done, (being) beneficial, straightforward, and excellent

अवैरकृत्one who does not create enmity

भूतहितेin the welfare of beings

नियुक्तःengaged/appointed

गङ्गाह्रदाम्भोदभिजनोपपन्नःendowed with a lineage like the Ganga-lake-cloud (i.e., pure and lofty-born)

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (a brāhmaṇa speaker)

ग

गङ्गा (Gaṅgā river)

Character Dynamics

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?

The verse outlines an ethical ideal: a person who lives simply (even on sacrificial remnants), speaks harmoniously, is honest and beneficial, discerns duty from non-duty, harbors no enmity, and dedicates himself to the welfare of all beings—embodying purity and nobility of conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker is describing the qualities of a virtuous person (an exemplar of dharmic character), emphasizing conduct, speech, discernment, and universal benevolence, and reinforcing these virtues by associating the person’s origin with the purity symbolized by the Gaṅgā.