Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 3 › Verse 13
Bhagavad Gītā 3.13: Share before you eat
यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः ।
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥
yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarvakilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tvaghaṃ pāpā ye pacantyātmakāraṇāt
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
The good, who eat the remnants of sacrifice, are released from all faults; but the wicked, who cook for their own sake, eat sin. This lies behind the custom of offering food before eating (prasāda): a meal offered and shared is nourishment, while food kept only for oneself feeds selfishness.
For children
Krishna says: “First share, then eat. People who share their food are good. Cooking only for yourself is being selfish.”
Kṛṣṇa draws a lesson from the Creator’s words (3.10–3.12) about sharing what we receive.
Word by word
यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो — Good people who eat what is left after an offering
- yajñaśiṣṭa: what is left after an offering
- aśin: one who eats
- santaḥ: good people
मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः — are freed from every fault
- mucyante: are freed
- sarva: all
- kilbiṣa: fault, wrong
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा — but those who do wrong eat only wrongness
- bhuñjate: eat
- agha: wrong, sin
- pāpa: wrongdoer
ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् — who cook just for themselves
- pacanti: cook
- ātmakāraṇāt: for their own sake
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.