Mahabharata — Svargarohana Parva, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

आदी तु वाचकं चैव वस्त्रगन्धसमन्वितम्‌ | विधिवद्‌ भोजयेद्‌ राजन्‌ मधु पायसमुनत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

ādau tu vācakaṃ caiva vastra-gandha-samanvitam | vidhivad bhojayet rājan madhu pāyasaṃ anuttamam ||

Translation

毗舍摩波耶那说道：“在开端之时，噢，大王，应依仪轨礼敬诵者——赐以新衣，并以香膏芬馥庄严之——继而按法供食，以甘蜜与上妙乳粥（pāyasa）饷之。”

Word by Word

• आदौ: at first/initially
• आदौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु
• Form: Avyaya (particle)

• वाचकम्: reciter/narrator
• वाचकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: Avyaya (emphatic particle)

• वस्त्रगन्धसमन्वितम्: endowed with garments and fragrance
• वस्त्रगन्धसमन्वितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र-गन्ध-समन्वित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विधिवत्: according to rule/ritually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत्
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• भोजयेत्: should feed/should cause to eat
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (भोजयति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular, Present-system causative

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मधु: honey/sweet (thing)
• मधु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular (also possible as indeclinable-like usage)

• पायसम्: rice-milk pudding (kheer)
• पायसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent/best
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the king addressed)
• vācaka (reciter/narrator)
• vastra (new garments)
• gandha (fragrant unguents/sandal paste)
• madhu (honey)
• pāyasa (rice-pudding/kheer)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches dharmic hospitality and reverence toward sacred narration: before beginning a recitation, one should honour the reciter with respectful offerings (clothing, fragrance) and proper food, emphasizing gratitude, purity of intention, and disciplined observance of rite.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana instructs the king on the proper preliminary conduct for a storytelling/recitation setting: first honour the vācaka (reciter) with garments and fragrance, then feed him sweet, excellent pāyasa with honey, establishing an auspicious and respectful start to the discourse.