Shloka 104

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

अङ्गुष्ठोत्तरतो रेखा पाणेर्या दक्षिणस्य तु । एतद् ब्राह्ममिति ख्यातं तीर्थमाचमनाय वै ॥

Transliteration

aṅguṣṭhottarato rekhā pāṇeryā dakṣiṇasya tu | etad brāhmamiti khyātaṃ tīrthamācamanāya vai ||

Translation

Die Linie in der rechten Handfläche, unmittelbar oberhalb des Daumens, heißt brāhma-tīrtha — und zwar zum Zweck des ācamana.

Word by Word

• अङ्गुष्ठ-उत्तरतः: to/at the upper side of the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठ-उत्तरतः: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• रेखा: a line
• रेखा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• पाणेः: of the hand
• पाणेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• दक्षिणस्य: of the right (hand)
• दक्षिणस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘hand’: right)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (but/indeed)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• ब्राह्मम्: brāhma (pertaining to Brahmā)
• ब्राह्मम्: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (name/quality)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyasaṃjñā (वाक्यसंज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative)

• ख्यातम्: is known/called
• ख्यातम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (known/called)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha (hand-position)
• तीर्थम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आचमनाय: for sipping (ācamana)
• आचमनाय: Sampradāna/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (indeed/emphatic)

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (instructional narrative voice)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Ācamana
• Ritual anatomy (hand-tīrthas)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity practices are concretized: dharma is not vague piety but embodied discipline, specifying even the locus on the hand for correct performance.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra material; not pañcalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The hand becomes a ritual map: locating brāhma-tīrtha near the thumb suggests the primacy of agency/volition (thumb) guided by sacred order in acts of purification.