Shloka 52
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यो दत्त्वाश्नीतामृतं गृही । स्वार्थं पचत्यघं भुंक्ते केवलं स्वोदरंभरिः
pitṛdevamanuṣyebhyo dattvāśnītāmṛtaṃ gṛhī | svārthaṃ pacatyaghaṃ bhuṃkte kevalaṃ svodaraṃbhariḥ
คฤหัสถ์ผู้ถวายภักษาแก่ปิตฤ เทวะ และมนุษย์ก่อน แล้วจึงฉันภายหลัง ย่อมเสวยดุจอมฤต; แต่ผู้หุงหาเพื่อตนเองเท่านั้น ย่อมกินบาป เป็นเพียงผู้เติมท้องเท่านั้น
Not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Food becomes nectar when preceded by offerings to ancestors, gods, and guests; selfish cooking becomes sin.
Application: Before meals, set aside a portion for elders/poor/animals; offer mentally to Viṣṇu and remember pitṛs; cultivate ‘prasāda’ attitude rather than entitlement.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene kitchen-altar scene: the householder places small portions of freshly cooked rice and vegetables into three leaf-bowls—one for pitṛs, one for devas at a small Viṣṇu shrine, and one for a waiting traveler outside. As he finally eats, the food is shown as luminous, nectar-like, with subtle divine radiance rising like incense.","primary_figures":["householder (gṛhastha)","small Viṣṇu icon or śālagrāma on altar","symbolic pitṛs (faint ancestral silhouettes)","guest/poor person receiving food"],"setting":"domestic shrine corner with lamp, tulasi pot, simple hearth, leaf plates, water pot","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron","warm gold","leaf green","clay brown","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: gṛhastha offering naivedya before eating, Viṣṇu shrine with gold leaf arch, ornate lamp, rich reds/greens, shimmering prasāda glow, gem-like detailing on vessels and borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet domestic ritual with delicate gestures, soft morning light, refined textiles, subtle ancestral presence in pale washes, lyrical courtyard where food is shared with a guest.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized gṛhastha and Viṣṇu shrine, bold outlines, natural pigment palette, ritual bowls clearly separated for pitṛ/deva/manuṣya, sacred glow rendered as patterned aureole.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central prasāda offering scene framed by lotus and floral borders; deep blue background with gold highlights; small cows/birds near the courtyard receiving crumbs as bhūta-yajña undertone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","spoon clink on metal bowl","gentle mantra hum","morning birds","quiet hearth crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यो = पितृ-देव-मनुष्येभ्यः (ओ→ओऽ/ओ before भ्यः; here written as ओ); दत्त्वाश्नीत = दत्त्वा + अश्नीत; पचत्यघं = पचति + अघम्; स्वोदरंभरिः = स्व + उदरंभरिः (स्व + उदर + भरि)
FAQs
It teaches that a gṛhastha should first offer or share food with the Pitṛs (ancestors), the devas (divinities), and human beings/guests, and only then eat.
The verse frames food as a social and sacred trust: cooking and eating only for oneself is treated as morally harmful because it ignores duties of gratitude, hospitality, and reciprocity.
The verse aligns with the gṛhastha ideal of daily obligations—especially toward devas, Pitṛs, and guests/people—often expressed through offerings and sharing food before personal consumption.