ततस् तु कुन्ती द्रुपदात्मजां ताम्; उवाच काले वचनं वदान्या ॥
अतो ऽग्रम् आदाय कुरुष्व भद्रे; बलिं च विप्राय च देहि भिक्षाम् ॥
ये चान्नम् इच्छन्ति ददस्व तेभ्यः; परिश्रिता ये परितो मनुष्याः ॥
ततश् च शेषं प्रविभज्य शीघ्रम्; अर्धं चतुर्णां मम चात्मनश् च ॥
अर्धं च भीमाय ददाहि भद्रे; य एष मत्तर्षभतुल्यरूपः ॥
श्यामो युवा संहननोपपन्न; एषो हि वीरो बहुभुक् सदैव ॥
tatas tu kuntī drupadātmajāṃ tām; uvāca kāle vacanaṃ vadānyā ||
ato 'gram ādāya kuruṣva bhadre; baliṃ ca viprāya ca dehi bhikṣām ||
ye cānnam icchanti dadasva tebhyaḥ; pariśritā ye parito manuṣyāḥ ||
tataś ca śeṣaṃ pravibhajya śīghram; ardhaṃ caturṇāṃ mama cātmanaś ca ||
ardhaṃ ca bhīmāya dadāhi bhadre; ya eṣa mattarṣabhatulyarūpaḥ ||
śyāmo yuvā saṃhananopapanna; eṣo hi vīro bahubhuk sadaiva ||
"Then Kunti, eloquent, at the fitting time said to that daughter of Drupada: 'Taking the first portion from this, perform, O gracious one, the offering of bali and give alms to a brahmin; and give to those people around us who desire food. Then quickly divide the remainder: half to the four of us, to me and to yourself, and give half to Bhima, to him whose form resembles a raging bull, dark, young, of sturdy build, for this hero always eats a great deal.'"
de5e27d3b7d0 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:44:41 PM UTC
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Here the pious order of the household reveals itself even in poverty. It is telling that Kunti first commands the offering of bali [to the gods/spirits] and the giving to a brahmin, then the feeding of the needy, and only afterward herself: first God and guest, then one's neighbor, and one's own share last. Here is the dharma of the householder: what is gained is first consecrated as a portion to God and given to the guest, and only then partaken. Telling too is her instruction about Bhima's portion: a mother knows the need of the strong and provides for it without envy. So the scripture reveals the sacred order of the meal, and Kunti instructs her new daughter-in-law in the piety of the household.