Mahabharata — Svargarohana Parva, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

ततो मूलफलप्रायं पायसं मधुसर्पिषा । आस्तीके भोजयेदू राजन्‌ दद्याच्चैव गुडौदनम्‌

Transliteration

tato mūlaphalaprāyaṃ pāyasaṃ madhusarpiṣā | āstīke bhojayedū rājan dadyāccaiva guḍaudanam ||

Translation

其后，噢，大王，于阿斯提迦（Āstīka）相关之诵读/仪式之时，应以蜜与酥油（ghee）调和之乳粥（pāyasa）供养婆罗门，其中以果实与根茎为多；随后并当施与糖蜜（guda，粗糖）甜饭为赠。

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• मूलफलप्रायम्: mostly consisting of roots and fruits
• मूलफलप्रायम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूलफलप्राय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• मधुसर्पिषा: with honey and ghee
• मधुसर्पिषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु-सर्पिस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आस्तीके: at/for the Astika (rite/occasion) / in the Astika context
• आस्तीके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्तीक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भोजयेत्: should feed (cause to eat)
• भोजयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उ: indeed/and (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ

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

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• एव: indeed, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• गुडौदनम्: rice with jaggery (sweet rice)
• गुडौदनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड-ओदन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the King addressed)
• Āstīka
• brāhmaṇas
• pāyasa (rice-pudding)
• madhu (honey)
• sarpiṣ (ghee)
• mūla (roots)
• phala (fruits)
• guḍa (jaggery)
• odana (cooked rice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches dharmic conduct through respectful hospitality and charity: on sacred occasions one should offer pure, wholesome food to brāhmaṇas and follow it with dāna, emphasizing generosity, reverence, and ritual propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana instructs the king about the proper observance connected with Āstīka: feeding brāhmaṇas with honey-and-ghee rice-pudding rich in fruits and roots, and then giving sweetened rice (jaggery-rice) as a charitable gift.