Shloka 17
मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite
(भैक्ष्येणापि समाहृत्य दद्यादन्नं द्विजेषु वै । सुवर्णदानात् पापानि नश्यन्ति सुबहून्यपि ।।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
bhaikṣyeṇāpi samāhṛtya dadyād annaṃ dvijeṣu vai |
suvarṇadānāt pāpāni naśyanti subahūny api ||
dattvā vṛttikarīṃ bhūmiṃ pātakenāpi mucyate |
pārāyaṇaiḥ purāṇānāṃ mucyate pātakaiḥ dvijaḥ ||
gāyatryāś caiva lakṣeṇa gosahasrasya tarpaṇāt |
vedārthaṃ jñāpayitvā tu śuddhān viprān yathārthataḥ ||
sarvatyāgādibhiś cāpi mucyate pātakair dvijaḥ |
sarvātithyaṃ paro dharmo tasmād annaṃ paraṃ smṛtam ||
ahiṃsan brāhmaṇasvānī nyāyena paripālya ca |
kṣatriyas tarasā prāptam annaṃ yo vai prayacchati |
dharmātmā pāṇḍunandana!
玉提施提罗说道：“即便以乞食所得之食，也当施与二生者；而施赠黄金，亦能灭除许多罪业。布施能供人生计之田地，纵是重罪亦可得解；诵读《往世书》（Purāṇa），婆罗门亦得离罪。持诵伽雅特丽（Gāyatrī）十万遍，使千头牛得饱足，向清净婆罗门如实宣说吠陀之义，乃至行一切舍离等，二生者皆可得罪垢消除。然而诸法之中，以饮食待客、普施众人之宾礼为最上；故食被忆念为至上之施。又有刹帝利，不侵害婆罗门之财，依法护民，以自身勇力所得之食，清净摄心而供养通晓吠陀之婆罗门——噫，具法之般度之子！——凭此施食之力，能摧灭其往昔所作之罪。”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage ranks various expiatory and meritorious acts—gold-giving, land-giving, Purāṇa recitation, Gāyatrī-japa, satisfying cows, teaching Vedic meaning, and renunciation—but concludes that universal hospitality through giving food (anna-dāna) is the highest dharma, especially when earned and offered righteously.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks about how sins are mitigated through righteous gifts and religious practices, emphasizing the ethical ideal of a just kṣatriya who protects subjects, avoids violating brāhmaṇa property, and supports learned brāhmaṇas through pure food-gifts.