Shloka 5

Kuntī’s Benediction to Draupadī and the Alliance Gifts (कुन्त्याः स्नुषाशीर्-वचनम् तथा दान-प्रतिग्रहः)

Devanagari script

ये चान्नमिच्छन्ति ददस्व तेभ्य: परिश्रिता ये परितो मनुष्या: । ततकश्न शेषं॑ प्रविभज्य शीघ्र- मर्थ चतुर्धा मम चात्मनश्न,“तथा अपने आस-पास जो दूसरे मनुष्य आश्रितभावसे रहते और भोजन चाहते हैं, उन्हें भी अन्न परोसो। तदनन्तर जो शेष बच जाय, उसके शीघ्र ही इस प्रकार विभाग करो। अन्नका आधा भाग एकके लिये रखो, फिर शेषके छ: भाग करके चार भाइयोंके लिये चार भाग अलग-अलग रख दो, उसके बाद मेरे लिये और अपने लिये भी एक-एक भाग पृथक्‌- पृथक्‌ परोस दो

Transliteration

ye cānnam icchanti dadasva tebhyaḥ pariśritā ye parito manuṣyāḥ | tataḥ śeṣaṃ pravibhajya śīghram arthaṃ caturdhā mama cātmanaś ca ||

Translation

毗湿摩波衍那说道：“也当施食于近旁那些依赖你们、前来求餐之人。随后迅速分配余粮：先为一人留出半份；再为四位兄弟各分其份；最后也为我与你各自另置一份。”

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

चand

अन्नम्food

इच्छन्तिdesire, want

ददस्वgive (you should give)

तेभ्यःto them

परिश्रिताःdependent, having taken refuge

येwho

परितःaround, on all sides

मनुष्याःpeople, men

ततःthen, thereafter

शेषम्the remainder

प्रविभज्यhaving divided/distributed

शीघ्रम्quickly

अर्थम्purpose/meaning; (here) the intended share/arrangement

चतुर्धाinto four parts, fourfold

ममof me, my

चand

आत्मनःof yourself / of the self

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

dependent people/seekers of food (pariśritā manuṣyāḥ)

four brothers (implied by context)

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?

Feed those who depend on you and ask for food first, and then distribute the remaining provisions promptly and fairly among the members of the group. The verse frames hospitality and equitable sharing as practical dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (Vaiśampāyana) reports instructions about serving food to nearby dependents and then dividing the leftover portions among specific recipients (including a set of four brothers, the speaker, and the addressee), emphasizing orderly household management and ethical priority to the needy.