Shloka 20

Manoḥ Carita

The Account of Manu Vaivasvata and the Mātsyaka Flood Narrative

Devanagari script

अतिथीनन्नपानेन भृत्यानत्यशनेन च । सम्भोज्य शेषमश्नीमस्तस्मान्मृत्युभयं न न:,'ब्राह्मणोंके जो शुभ कर्म हैं, उन्हींकी हम चर्चा करते हैं। उनके दोषोंका बखान नहीं करते हैं। इसलिये हमें मृत्युसे भय नहीं है। हम अतिथियोंको अन्न और जलसे तृप्त करते हैं। हमारे ऊपर जिनके भरण-पोषणका भार है, उन्हें हम पूरा भोजन देते हैं और उन्हें भोजन करानेसे बचा हुआ अन्न हम स्वयं भोजन करते हैं, अतः हमें मृत्युसे भय नहीं है

Transliteration

atithīn annapānena bhṛtyān atyaśanena ca | sambhojya śeṣam aśnīmas tasmān mṛtyu-bhayaṃ na naḥ ||

Translation

మేము అతిథులను అన్నపానాలతో తృప్తిపరుస్తాము; మా మీద ఆధారపడిన భృతులను/ఆశ్రితులను సంపూర్ణంగా భోజనం చేయిస్తాము. వారిని భోజింపజేసిన తరువాత మిగిలినదానినే మేము తింటాము; అందువల్ల మాకు మరణభయం లేదు.

Word by Word

अतिथीन्guests

अन्नपानेनwith food and drink

भृत्यान्dependents/servants

अत्यशनेनwith full feeding (abundant food)

चand

सम्भोज्यhaving fed/entertained

शेषम्the remainder

अश्नीमःwe eat

तस्मात्therefore/from that (reason)

मृत्युभयम्fear of death

नnot

नःof us/for us

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

atithi (guest)

bhṛtya (dependents/household dependents)

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?

Fearlessness (even regarding death) is grounded in dharmic living—especially atithi-satkara (honoring guests) and responsible care of dependents—where one eats only after others are properly served.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya explains a household ethic: guests are first satisfied with food and drink, dependents are fully fed, and only then does the speaker’s household consume the remainder—presented as the reason they feel no fear of death.