Shloka 1
Agastya-Māhātmya and Vasiṣṭha’s Protection of the Ādityas
Khalina Daityas; Sarayū Etiology
औपनआक्रात बछ। सर: पजञ्चत्रिशर्दाधिकशततमोब् ध्याय: जिनका अन्न ग्रहण करने योग्य है और जिनका ग्रहण करने योग्य नहीं है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | bhojyā brāhmaṇasyeha ke bhojyāḥ kṣatriyasya ha | tathā vaiśyasya ke bhojyāḥ ke śūdrasya ca bhārata ||
یُدھِشٹھِر نے کہا— اے بھارت! اس دنیا میں برہمن کے لیے کن کے ہاتھ سے کھانا قبول کرنا مناسب ہے؟ کشتری کے لیے کن کے ہاتھ سے؟ اسی طرح ویشیہ اور شودر کن کن لوگوں کے ہاں کھانا کھا سکتے ہیں؟
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an inquiry into dharma concerning food acceptance: which sources of food are considered permissible or impermissible for each varṇa, implying that ethical conduct, purity, and the character of the giver affect what may be accepted.
Yudhiṣṭhira initiates a discussion by asking Bhīṣma (addressed here as ‘Bhārata’) to specify the proper households or persons from whom members of the four varṇas may take food, setting up a detailed ethical discourse in the chapter.