Shloka 27

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

Sanskrit

अज्ञातकुलनामानं तत्कालसमुपस्थितम् ।

बुभुक्षुमागतं श्रान्तं याचमानमकिञ्चनम् ॥

Transliteration

ajñātakulanāmānaṃ tatkālasamupasthitam / bubhukṣum āgataṃ śrāntaṃ yācamānam akiñcanam

Translation

Ein ‘atithi’ ist einer, dessen Familie und Name unbekannt sind, der genau zu jener Zeit eintrifft; der hungrig und erschöpft kommt, bettelnd und ohne Besitz.

Word by Word

• ajñāta-kula-nāmānam: of unknown family and name
• ajñāta-kula-nāmānam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajñāta (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'whose family and name are unknown' (kula-nāman as a dvandva-like pair within determinative sense) qualifying an implied 'atithim'

• tat-kāla-samupasthitam: arrived at that time
• tat-kāla-samupasthitam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-upa-√sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); kta-participle used adjectivally; tatpuruṣa: 'arrived at that time'

• bubhukṣum: hungry
• bubhukṣum: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bubhukṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); desiderative adjective 'hungry'

• āgatam: come
• āgatam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); past participle qualifying implied 'atithim'

• śrāntam: tired
• śrāntam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrānta (प्रातिपदिक/√śram + kta)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); kta-derived adjective

• yācamānam: begging/asking
• yācamānam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yāc (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); present active participle (कर्तरि शतृ)

• akiñcanam: destitute/without possessions
• akiñcanam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kiñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Not in Devi Māhātmyam; atithi-dharma instruction.

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Hospitality
• Compassion
• Ethics toward strangers

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text defines moral priority: the unknown, hungry, exhausted petitioner is the true claimant on the householder’s resources and care.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/Dharma: practical ethical taxonomy rather than cosmological or genealogical narration.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘unknown name and lineage’ motif dissolves social labels; dharma is tested where identity cannot be leveraged for prestige—only compassion remains.