Shloka 14

The Churning of the Ocean

Milk Ocean Episode: Kālakūṭa, Hari-nāma, and Alakṣmī/Jyeṣṭhā

Devanagari script

स्थानं ज्येष्ठे तत्र तव भविष्यति न संशयः । अकृत्वा पादयोर्धौतं ये चाश्नंति नराधमाः

Transliteration

sthānaṃ jyeṣṭhe tatra tava bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | akṛtvā pādayordhautaṃ ye cāśnaṃti narādhamāḥ

Translation

“There, O Jyeṣṭhā, you will surely have a place among the foremost—of this there is no doubt. Those lowest of men who eat without first washing their feet…”

Word by Word

• स्थानम्: place/position
• स्थानम्: कर्ता/कर्म (contextual; ‘will be’ predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्

• ज्येष्ठे: in/for the eldest (one)
• ज्येष्ठे: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; विशेष्य-लोपे (in/for the eldest)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: देशाधिकरण (Spatial adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• तव: your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• न: no/not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: कर्ता (Subject of implied ‘अस्ति’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘न संशयः’ = नास्ति संशयः

• अकृत्वा: without having done
• अकृत्वा: पूर्वक्रिया-निषेध (Prior action negated)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक-क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (negative gerund: ‘without doing’); अ- (नञ्) + कृत्वा

• पादयोः: of (the) two feet
• पादयोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Gen./Loc.), द्विवचनम्; अत्र षष्ठी (of the feet)

• धौतम्: washed (water)
• धौतम्: कर्म (Object implied: washed water)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धौत (कृदन्त; धाव्/धौ धातु ‘to wash’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कृदन्तः—क्त (PPP) ‘washed’; (उदकं/पानीयं) इति विशेष्य-लोपे

• ये: those who
• ये: कर्ता (Subject of following verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक-यः (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अश्नन्ति: eat
• अश्नन्ति: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• नर-अधमाः: the lowest of men
• नर-अधमाः: कर्ता (Apposition to ‘ये’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अधमाः नराः)

Speaker

Unspecified (context required to identify the dialogue speaker reliably)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: पादयोर्धौतं = पादयोः + धौतम्; चाश्नंति = च + अश्नन्ति; नराधमाः = नर-अधमाः

FAQs

What practice does this verse emphasize before eating?

It emphasizes śauca (cleanliness), specifically washing one’s feet before taking food.

What is promised in the first half of the verse?

A assured “place among the foremost” (a respected or elevated status/abode), stated as certain and without doubt.

What ethical lesson does this verse convey?

That daily discipline and purity in conduct—especially basic cleanliness—are treated as markers of dharmic living, while neglect is censured.