Shloka 37
Narrative of King Pṛthu: Chastising and Milking the Earth
ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषेणअतिथिभ्यस्तथैव च । पश्चाद्भुंजंति पुण्यास्ताः प्रजाः सर्वा द्विजोत्तमाः
brāhmaṇebhyo viśeṣeṇaatithibhyastathaiva ca | paścādbhuṃjaṃti puṇyāstāḥ prajāḥ sarvā dvijottamāḥ
برہمنوں کو—خصوصاً—اور اسی طرح مہمانوں کو پہلے کھلا پلا کر، اے بہترین دِوِج، وہ نیک رعایا اس کے بعد ہی خود کھانا کھاتی ہے۔
Unknown (context not provided; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue framework of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: One should eat only after honoring brāhmaṇas and guests; self-restraint and service sanctify food and life.
Application: Before meals, offer food to God (or mentally dedicate), serve elders/guests, donate a portion, and cultivate the habit of eating last—reducing greed and increasing gratitude.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene Vaiṣṇava household courtyard becomes a sanctified altar: a gṛhastha couple offers freshly cooked rice, ghee, and vegetables first to seated brāhmaṇas and a weary traveler-guest. Only after their blessings does the family sit modestly to eat, with a small lamp and a tulasī pot nearby, suggesting that hospitality itself is worship.","primary_figures":["gṛhastha couple","brāhmaṇas","atithi (traveler/guest)","child offering water (optional)"],"setting":"village courtyard with rangoli, low wooden seats, banana-leaf plates, water pot (kalaśa), tulasī-vṛndāvana at the side","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron ochre","warm lamp-gold","leaf green","earth brown","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dharmic household scene where the gṛhastha offers anna-dāna to brāhmaṇas and an atithi before eating; gold leaf halos subtly around the honored guests as embodiments of Nārāyaṇa; rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-studded vessels, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing, luminous lamp glow.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard hospitality—delicate brushwork, refined faces, soft textiles, banana-leaf plates; cool yet warm-toned palette with lyrical naturalism; distant trees and a small tulasī shrine; gentle gestures of offering water and food, fine architectural lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; the gṛhastha couple in traditional attire offering food to seated brāhmaṇas and a traveler; stylized eyes, rhythmic composition, red/yellow/green dominance; a glowing nilavilakku lamp and tulasī-vṛndāvana anchoring the sacred mood.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a Vaishnava anna-sevā tableau framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; subtle presence of Śrī Viṣṇu as an unseen recipient through the brāhmaṇas/atithi; deep blues and gold accents, decorative patterns on vessels, peacocks at the border, devotional domestic sanctity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells (distant)","soft conch (faint)","clinking of vessels","evening silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विशेषेणअतिथिभ्यस्→विशेषेण अतिथिभ्यः; पश्चाद्भुंजंति→पश्चात् भुञ्जन्ति; पुण्यास्ताः→पुण्याः ताः. ‘द्विजोत्तमाः’ here functions as संबोधनार्थक despite nominative form (common in epic/purāṇic usage).
FAQs
It teaches that one should first serve brāhmaṇas and guests (atithis) and only then eat oneself, presenting hospitality as a primary ethical duty.
Brāhmaṇas represent custodians of Vedic learning and ritual merit, while guests are to be treated as sacred arrivals; serving them first is portrayed as a mark of virtue (puṇya).
The address frames the instruction as a normative standard for dharmic conduct, highlighting self-restraint and prioritizing others’ needs before one’s own.