Shloka 5

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

युग्मांस् तु प्राङ्मुखान् विप्रान् भोजयेन् मनुजेश्वर यथावृत्ति तथा कुर्याद् दैवं पित्र्यं द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

yugmāṃs tu prāṅmukhān viprān bhojayen manujeśvara yathāvṛtti tathā kuryād daivaṃ pitryaṃ dvijanmanām

Translation

O lord among men, let him feed Brahmins in an even number, seated facing east; and according to his means, let him duly perform both the offerings to the gods and the ancestral rite prescribed for the twice-born.

Word by Word

• युग्मान्: in pairs, even-numbered
• युग्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (विप्रान्)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• प्राङ्मुखान्: facing east
• प्राङ्मुखान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राङ् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (प्राङ् मुखाः)

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) [णिच् causative: भोजय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त (causative)

• मनुजेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• मनुजेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मनुजानाम् ईश्वरः)

• यथावृत्ति: according to one’s means
• यथावृत्ति: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम्

• तथा: so, in that manner
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम्

• कुर्यात्: should do, should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दैवम्: rite for the gods
• दैवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पित्र्यम्: rite for the ancestors
• पित्र्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पित्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas etc.)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां जन्म = द्विजन्म)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; addressing the kingly listener as ‘manujeśvara’ within the discourse)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Procedural details of śrāddha and offerings: feeding Brahmins, orientation, and proportional giving

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: practical, rule-based

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual giving must be orderly (proper seating/orientation) and proportionate to one’s means, balancing deva and pitṛ obligations of the twice-born.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice disciplined generosity within your capacity, supporting both spiritual institutions and familial duties without ostentation or neglect.

Vishishtadvaita: ‘According to means’ underscores that sincere offering, not mere magnitude, is accepted when offered in service to the Lord and His cosmic order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Brahmins (Vipras)
• Devas
• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Dvijas (Twice-born)

FAQs

What is the significance of feeding Brahmins facing east in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse presents east-facing seating as a rule of ritual orientation for orderly performance of śrāddha-related hospitality, aligning the act with traditional auspicious direction and liturgical correctness.

How does Sage Parāśara explain performing rites ‘according to one’s means’ (yathāvṛtti)?

He frames dharma as scalable: the twice-born should complete Deva and Pitṛ obligations without excess or neglect, matching expenditure and offerings to their real capacity while preserving the rite’s intent.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s dharma-teaching assumes yajña and śrāddha uphold the divinely governed order; fulfilling Deva and Pitṛ duties is part of living within Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty over cosmic law.