Shloka 17

Agastya-Māhātmya and Vasiṣṭha’s Protection of the Ādityas

Khalina Daityas; Sarayū Etiology

Devanagari script

असत्कृतमवज्ञातं न भोक्तव्यं कदाचन

Transliteration

asatkṛtam avajñātaṃ na bhoktavyaṃ kadācana | yaḥ kalaṅkita-manuṣyasyānnaṃ gṛhṇāti taṃ raktakuṇḍaṃ pracakṣate | yaś ca piśunasyānnaṃ bhuṅkte tasya tad-bhojanaṃ brahmahatyāsamaṃ matam | asatkārāvamānāpūrvaṃ labdhaṃ bhojyaṃ na kadācana ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“凡以不敬与轻蔑所施之食，切不可食。受取德行污秽之人的食物者，被说成堕入‘血坑’。而在诽谤者之家用食——以搬弄口舌为生者——其食行被视为等同于杀婆罗门之罪。故由侮辱与羞辱而得之食，永不可受。”

Word by Word

• असत्कृतम्: dishonoured, not properly honoured (food)
• असत्कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्कृत (अस् + सत्कृत)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवज्ञातम्: insulted, slighted, treated with contempt
• अवज्ञातम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवज्ञात (अव + ज्ञा, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भोक्तव्यम्: should be eaten / is to be eaten
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (भोजने) + तव्य
• Form: Gerundive (obligation), Singular (impersonal), Passive sense

• कदाचन: ever, at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• raktakuṇḍa
• brahmahatyā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Food is not morally neutral: accepting or eating food offered with contempt, or from a person of corrupt character (especially a slanderer), is portrayed as spiritually harmful. One should protect one’s dharma by refusing such food, even if it is otherwise available.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he gives a strict ethical rule about hospitality and acceptance of food, warning that eating from dishonourable or malicious sources brings grave demerit.