Shloka 53

ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः

Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction

Devanagari script

संविभागो हि भूतानां सर्वेषामेव दृश्यते । तथैवापचमाने भ्य: प्रदेयं गृहमेधिना,गृहस्थके भोजनमें देवता, पितर, मनुष्य एवं समस्त प्राणियोंका हिस्सा देखा जाता है। गृहस्थका यह धर्म है कि वह अपने हाथसे भोजन न बनानेवाले संन्यासी आदिको अवश्य पका-पकाया अन्न दे

Transliteration

saṃvibhāgo hi bhūtānāṃ sarveṣām eva dṛśyate | tathaivāpacamānebhyaḥ pradeyaṃ gṛhamedhinā ||

Translation

尤提希提罗说道：“众生在所烹所藏之物中，各有其应得之分，这是显而易见的。因此，奉行神圣家居之法的居士，当施食于那些不自炊者——以熟食相赠，作为义务与慈悲之行。”

Word by Word

संविभागःdistribution, sharing

हिindeed, for

भूतानाम्of beings/creatures

सर्वेषाम्of all

एवjust, indeed

दृश्यतेis seen, is observed

तथाso, likewise

एवindeed

अपचमानेभ्यःto those who do not cook (for themselves)

प्रदेयम्to be given

गृहमेधिनाby the householder (one maintaining the household fires/rites)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

gṛhamedhin (householder)

bhūta (living beings)

apacamāna (non-cooking dependents/ascetics/guests)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that a householder’s dharma includes recognizing that resources—especially food—are not solely for oneself; they must be shared. Giving cooked food to those who do not cook (such as ascetics, guests, or dependents) is presented as an ethical obligation rooted in compassion and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a principle of righteous living during the Vana Parva context: even amid hardship and exile, dharma is upheld through generosity and proper household conduct—specifically, feeding those who rely on others for sustenance.