Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच द्विजातयो व्रतोपेता यदिदं भुञ्जते हविः अन्नं ब्राह्मणकामाय कथमेतत्पितामह
M. N. Dutt: Yudhisthira said The three twice-born classes, who perform sacrifices and other rites, some times eat the remnants, consisting of meat and wine, of sacrifices in honour of the gods, from motives of obtaining children and heaven. What, O grandfather, is the nature of this act?
भीष्म उवाच अवेदोक्तव्रतोपेता भुञ्जानाः कार्यकारिणः वेदोक्तेषु च भुञ्जाना व्रतलुप्ता युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Those who eat forbidden food without performing the sacrifices and vows ordained in the Vedas are known as wilful men. Those, on the other hand, who eat such food in the observance of Vedic sacrifices and vows and actuated by the desire of fruits in the shape of heaven and children, ascend to heaven but drop down on the termination of their merits.
Supplementary Passages:
12.214.2 After 2, K7 D4.9 ins.: *630 उपेतव्रतशौचा ये भुञ्जन्ते ब्राह्मणाः क्वचित् तदन्नममृतं भूत्वा यजमानं प्रपद्यते
युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदिदं तप इत्याहुरुपवासं पृथग्जनाः एतत्तपो महाराज उताहो किं तपो भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said Common people say that fasting is penance. Is fasting, however, really so, or is penance somethings different?
भीष्म उवाच मासपक्षोपवासेन मन्यन्ते यत्तपो जनाः आत्मतन्त्रोपघातः स न तपस्तत्सतां मतम् त्यागश्च सन्नतिश्चैव शिष्यते तप उत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said People really consider fast, measured by months or fortnights or days, as penance. The good, however, hold that such is not penance. On the other hand, fast is an obstacle to the acquirement of the knowledge of the Soul.
सदोपवासी च भवेद्ब्रह्मचारी सदैव च मुनिश्च स्यात्सदा विप्रो दैवतं च सदा भजेत्
AI Translation: He should always be a celibate, a brahmachari, and always a sage. He should always be a brahmana, and always worship the gods.
कुटुम्बिको धर्मकामः सदास्वप्नश्च भारत अमांसाशी सदा च स्यात्पवित्रं च सदा जपेत्
AI Translation: One who is a householder, one who desires Dharma, one who is always awake, O descendant of Bharata, One who eats no meat, one who is always pure, one who always recites the sacred texts,
अमृताशी सदा च स्यान्न च स्याद्विषभोजनः विघसाशी सदा च स्यात्सदा चैवातिथिप्रियः
AI Translation: He should always eat nectar and never eat poison. He should always eat leftovers and always be fond of guests.
Supplementary Passages:
12.214.7 After 7, K6 V1 B0. 6-9 Da3.a4 Dn1.n4 Ds D2.3.5-8 Kumbh. ed. ins.: *631 श्रद्दधानः सदा च स्याद्दैवतद्विजपूजकः
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं सदोपवासी स्याद्ब्रह्मचारी कथं भवेत् विघसाशी कथं च स्यात्सदा चैवातिथिप्रियः
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said one ever How can one practising such penance come to be known as one who is always fasting or as who follows the VOW of Brahmacharya, or as one who always lives upon sacrificial residue, or as one who always worships guests.
भीष्म उवाच अन्तरा प्रातराशं च सायमाशं तथैव च सदोपवासी च भवेद्यो न भुङ्क्ते कथंचन
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said He will be considered as one who is always fasting if he eats once during the day and once during the night at the fixed hours without eating anything in the interim.
भार्यां गच्छन्ब्रह्मचारी ऋतौ भवति ब्राह्मणः ऋतवादी सदा च स्याज्ज्ञाननित्यश्च यो नरः
M. N. Dutt: Such a Brahman, by always speaking the truth and by following always wisdom, and by going to his wife only in her season and never at other times, becomes a Brahmacharin.
अभक्षयन्वृथामांसममांसाशी भवत्युत दाननित्यः पवित्रश्च अस्वप्नश्च दिवास्वपन्
M. N. Dutt: By never cating meat of animals not killed for sacrifice, he will become a strict vegetarian. By always becoming charitable he will become ever pure, and by abstaining from sleep during De day he will become one who is always awake.
भृत्यातिथिषु यो भुङ्क्ते भुक्तवत्सु सदा स ह अमृतं सकलं भुङ्क्त इति विद्धि युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: Know, O Yudhisthira, that the man who eats only after having fed his servants and guests becomes an eater always of ambrosia.
अभुक्तवत्सु नाश्नानः सततं यस्तु वै द्विजः अभोजनेन तेनास्य जितः स्वर्गो भवत्युत
AI Translation: If a brahmin does not eat when others have not eaten, and if he does not eat himself, then he has conquered heaven by not eating.
Supplementary Passages:
12.214.13 D7 T2 G1-3.6 M5.6 Kumbh. ed. ins. after 13ab: T1 after 12a: *632 अदत्त्वा योऽतिथिभ्योऽन्नं न भुङ्क्ते सोऽतिथिप्रियः अदत्त्वान्नं दैवतेभ्यो यो न भुङ्क्ते स दैवतम्
देवताभ्यः पितृभ्यश्च भृत्येभ्योऽतिथिभिः सह अवशिष्टं तु योऽश्नाति तमाहुर्विघसाशिनम्
M. N. Dutt: He is said to live upon sacrificial residue who eats only what remains after feeding the gods, the Pitris, servants and guests.
तेषां लोका ह्यपर्यन्ताः सदने ब्रह्मणा सह उपस्थिताश्चाप्सरोभिः परियान्ति दिवौकसः
M. N. Dutt: Such men acquires numberless blessed regions in next life. The gods and the Apsaras with Brahman himself, come to their homes.
देवताभिश्च ये सार्धं पितृभिश्चोपभुञ्जते रमन्ते पुत्रपौत्रैश्च तेषां गतिरनुत्तमा
M. N. Dutt: They who share their food with the gods and the Pitris pass their days always happily with their sons and grandsons, and at last, leaving off this body, acquire a very high end.