Shloka 15

Adhyaya 29 — Alarka’s Inquiry and Madalasa’s Teaching on Householder Dharma (Gārhasthya), Vaiśvadeva, and Atithi Hospitality

Sanskrit

तस्मात् स्नातः शुचिर्भूत्वा देवर्

5षिपितृतर्पणम् ।

प्रजापतेस्तथैवादिभः काले कुर्यात् समाहितः ॥

Transliteration

tasmāt snātaḥ śucir bhūtvā devarṣipitṛtarpaṇam | prajāpatestathaivādibhyaḥ kāle kuryāt samāhitaḥ ||

Translation

Darum soll man, nachdem man gebadet und rein geworden ist, zur rechten Zeit und mit gesammeltem Geist die Libationen (tarpaṇa) für die Götter, die ṛṣi und die Ahnen darbringen — ebenso für Prajāpati und die anderen, die dazu berechtigt sind.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), ablatival adverbial use: ‘therefore’

• snātaḥ: having bathed
• snātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snā (धातु) → snāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• śuciḥ: pure
• śuciḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhū (धातु) → bhūtvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)

• deva-ṛṣi-pitṛ-tarpaṇam: offering of satisfaction (libation) to gods, sages, and ancestors
• deva-ṛṣi-pitṛ-tarpaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + tarpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (genitive-relation implied: ‘tarpaṇa for gods/sages/ancestors’), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• prajāpateḥ: of Prajāpati
• prajāpateḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajāpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tathā: thus / likewise
• tathā: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारबोधक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• ādibhyaḥ: beginning with (others)
• ādibhyaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी) Plural (बहुवचन) (also possible Dative 4th in form; here sense ‘beginning with…’)

• kāle: at the proper time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/Optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• samāhitaḥ: composed / attentive
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (धातु) → samāhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Instructional dialogue (elder to disciple/‘son’)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "dharma", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Prajāpati
• Devas
• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity)
• Tarpaṇa
• Daily rites

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Inner and outer cleanliness plus attentiveness are prerequisites for sustaining divine and ancestral relationships; ritual is presented as disciplined care rather than mechanical action.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-upadeśa: prescriptive conduct for householders.

What is the esoteric significance?

Bathing and ‘samādhi-like’ collectedness indicate that offerings are effective when the practitioner’s mind becomes an ordered vessel, mirroring the order offered to.