Shloka 50

Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)

Devanagari script

शेषान्नमुपभुञ्जाना यथान्यायं यथाविधि । तुष्टपुष्टजना नित्यं नारी धर्मेण युज्यते

Transliteration

śeṣānnam upabhuñjānā yathānyāyaṃ yathāvidhi | tuṣṭapuṣṭajanā nityaṃ nārī dharmeṇa yujyate ||

Translation

Maheshvara phán: Người phụ nữ nào, theo lẽ công bằng và đúng phép tắc, chỉ ăn phần cơm còn lại sau khi đã làm thỏa mãn người khác, và luôn giữ cho người trong nhà được no đủ, an vui—người ấy hợp nhất với Dharma.

Word by Word

• शेषात्: from the remainder (leftover)
• शेषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपभुञ्जाना: eating/partaking
• उपभुञ्जाना: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपभुज्
• Form: शानच् (present active participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• न्यायम्: justice/propriety
• न्यायम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• विधि: rule/ritual injunction
• विधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तुष्ट: satisfied
• तुष्ट: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुष्ट: well-nourished
• पुष्ट: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्ट
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जनाः: people (household members)
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always, regularly
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मेण: by/through dharma (righteous conduct)
• धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• युज्यते: is joined/attains (is endowed)
• युज्यते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज्
• Form: Present (Lat), Atmanepada (passive sense), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī-Maheśvara (speaker)
• nārī (the woman/householder-wife)
• śeṣānna (leftover food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dharma in household life includes serving others first—following proper rule and fairness—so that dependents are satisfied and nourished, and only then partaking of what remains. Such disciplined, service-oriented conduct is presented as a mark of righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheshvara is describing the qualities of an ideal dharmic woman within the householder setting, emphasizing orderly conduct (vidhi), propriety (nyaya), and the welfare of the household as a religious-ethical practice.