Shloka 21

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

प्रथम: कस्य दातव्यो मध्यम: क्व च गच्छति । उत्तरश्न स्मृत: कस्य एतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्‌

Transliteration

prathamaḥ kasya dātavyo madhyamaḥ kva ca gacchati | uttaraśnaḥ smṛtaḥ kasya etad icchāmi veditum ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“第一份应当献给谁？中间那一份归于何处？又谁被称为最后受食者？我愿知其详。”

Word by Word

• प्रथमः: the first (share/person)
• प्रथमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कस्य: of whom / to whom
• कस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• दातव्यः: is to be given
• दातव्यः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, obligative/passive sense

• मध्यमः: the middle (share/person)
• मध्यमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गच्छति: goes
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उत्तरः: the last / the later (share/person)
• उत्तरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अश्न: eats
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Vedic/archaic form for अश्नाति

• स्मृतः: is said/remembered (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कस्य: of whom / to whom
• कस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Indicative, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वेदितुम्: to know
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry about proper order and entitlement in sharing food—who deserves precedence, how portions are allocated, and the virtue implied in eating last—pointing to dharma in hospitality and household conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, in an instructive discourse, asks for clarification on traditional norms of serving food: the recipient of the first share, the destination of the middle share, and the identity/ideal of the person who eats last.