Shloka 216

Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda

Householder Duties and Daily Offerings

Devanagari script

अर्चयेन्मधुपर्केण परिसंवत्सरोषितान्‌ | श्रीकृष्ण! गृहस्थ पुरुषको सदा यज्ञशिष्ट अन्नका ही भोजन करना चाहिये। राजा

Transliteration

arcayen madhupārkeṇa pari-saṃvatsaroṣitān | śrīkṛṣṇa! gṛhasthaḥ puruṣaḥ sadā yajña-śiṣṭa-annakaḥ hi bhojanaṃ kartavyaṃ | rājā, ṛtvijaḥ, snātakaḥ, guruḥ, śvaśuraḥ—ete yadi eka-varṣāt paraṃ gṛham āgaccheyuḥ tarhi madhupārkeṇa eṣāṃ pūjā kartavyā |

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, wer ein volles Jahr ferngeblieben ist, soll mit der madhupārka-Gabe (madhupārka) geehrt werden. Ein Hausvater soll stets nur die Speise zu sich nehmen, die nach dem Opfer (yajña-śiṣṭa) übrig bleibt; denn das ist die rechte Lebensregel. Darum gilt: Kehrt ein König, ein ṛtvij (Opferpriester), ein snātaka (der die heilige Schülerdisziplin vollendet hat), ein Lehrer (guru) oder der Schwiegervater nach einem Jahr ins Haus zurück, so soll man ihn mit madhupārka empfangen und verehren.“

Word by Word

• अर्चयेत्: should worship/honor
• अर्चयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• मधुपर्केण: with madhūparka (a honey-mixture offering)
• मधुपर्केण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुपर्क
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• परिसंवत्सर: a full year
• परिसंवत्सर: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिसंवत्सर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• उषितान्: those who have stayed (away)
• उषितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस् (उष्/उषित)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• श्रीकृष्ण (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• मधुपर्क (madhupārka)
• राजा (king)
• ऋत्विज (ṛtvij)
• स्नातक (snātaka)
• गुरु (guru)
• श्वशुर (father-in-law)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A householder’s dharma includes disciplined eating (only yajña-śiṣṭa, sanctified food) and formal hospitality: eminent or venerable persons returning after a long absence (a year) should be received with the honorific madhupārka offering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses Śrī Kṛṣṇa while laying down conduct-rules for householders, specifying who deserves special reception and the ritual form (madhupārka) when such guests arrive after a year away.