Mahabharata · 1.145.5–6
॥
Devanāgarī
निवेदयन्ति स्म च ते भैक्षं कुन्त्याः सदा निशि ॥
तया विभक्तान् भागांस् ते भुञ्जते स्म पृथक् पृथक् ॥
अर्धं ते भुञ्जते वीराः सह मात्रा परंतपाः ॥
अर्धं भैक्षस्य सर्वस्य भीमो भुङ्क्ते महाबलः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nivedayanti sma ca te bhaikṣaṃ kuntyāḥ sadā niśi ||
tayā vibhaktān bhāgāṃs te bhuñjate sma pṛthak pṛthak ||
ardhaṃ te bhuñjate vīrāḥ saha mātrā paraṃtapāḥ ||
ardhaṃ bhaikṣasya sarvasya bhīmo bhuṅkte mahābalaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
निवेदयन्ति स्म च ते भैक्षं कुन्त्याः सदा निशिnivedayanti sma ca te bhaikṣaṃ kuntyāḥ sadā niśiand they offered the alms to Kunti always at night,
तया विभक्तान् भागान् ते भुञ्जते स्म पृथक् पृथक्tayā vibhaktān bhāgān te bhuñjate sma pṛthak pṛthak[and] the portions divided by her they ate separately;
अर्धं ते भुञ्जते वीराः सह मात्रा परंतपाःardhaṃ te bhuñjate vīrāḥ saha mātrā paraṃtapāḥhalf those heroes eat, together with their mother, the scorchers of foes,
अर्धं भैक्षस्य सर्वस्य भीमः भुङ्क्ते महाबलःardhaṃ bhaikṣasya sarvasya bhīmaḥ bhuṅkte mahābalaḥ[the other] half of all the alms mighty Bhima eats;
भागांस्bhāgāṃsoriginal form "bhāgāṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भीमोbhīmooriginal form "bhīmo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"And each evening they offered the alms to Kunti, and ate separately the portions she divided: half those heroes eat together with their mother, and the other half of all the alms the mighty Bhima eats."
Version
af6096cf59e0 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the order of the family shows itself, resting upon reverence for the mother. It is significant that what they gather they hand over to Kunti, and she divides it: the mother is the center of the household, and to her the distribution is entrusted. It is significant too that half goes to Bhima alone: great strength requires great sustenance, and the brothers, without complaint, yield to him a share equal to all the rest together. Here is harmony free of envy toward a neighbor's needs: to each according to his need, and the strongest is not shortchanged. So scripture shows a household founded upon obedience to the elder and mutual yielding — a small image of dharma amid privation.