Shloka 104

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

पुनः पाकम् उपादाय सायम् अप्य् अवनीपते वैश्वदेवनिमित्तं वै पत्न्य् अमन्त्रं बलिं हरेत्

Transliteration

punaḥ pākam upādāya sāyam apy avanīpate vaiśvadevanimittaṃ vai patny amantraṃ baliṃ haret

Translation

Then, O king, in the evening as well, taking up the cooked food again, the wife—without reciting mantras—should offer the bali (set-apart portion) for the rite of Vaiśvadeva.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• पाकम्: cooked food
• पाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; “cooked food/cooking”

• उपादाय: having taken
• उपादाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-दा (धातु; √दा/√दाऽ ‘to take’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — “having taken”

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (evening-time adverb)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• अवनीपते: O lord of the earth
• अवनीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनीपति (प्रातिपदिक; अवनी + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• वैश्वदेवनिमित्तम्: intended for the Vaiśvadeva offering
• वैश्वदेवनिमित्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैश्वदेव + निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक; वैश्वदेव-निमित्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बलिं विशेषयति—“for the Vaiśvadeva rite”

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (indeed)

• पत्नी: the wife
• पत्नी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ (वाक्ये ‘पत्नी ... हरेत्’ इति)

• अमन्त्रम्: without (reciting) mantras
• अमन्त्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + मन्त्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बलिं विशेषयति—“without mantra”

• बलिम्: offering (bali)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हरेत्: should offer/perform
• हरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु; ‘to take/offer’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; verse addresses a king as an honorific within the teaching)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Household rites: evening offerings (bali) and Vaiśvadeva connected with daily food

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: practical, authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Daily sustenance is sanctified by evening Vaiśvadeva-bali, integrating food (anna) with universal divinity (vaiśvadeva).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Before dinner, set aside a small portion as an offering/act of charity, consciously dedicating nourishment to God and all beings.

Vishishtadvaita: Seeing all beings as the Lord’s body (śarīra) makes feeding/offerings a service to the indwelling Nārāyaṇa (antaryāmin).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva
• Wife (Patnī)
• King (Avanīpati)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Vaiśvadeva offering in the Vishnu Purana?

It sanctifies daily eating by first dedicating a portion of food as bali to the ‘all-gods,’ expressing that household life is sustained within a larger divine order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the evening duty for householders here?

He states that in the evening too, after food is prepared, the wife should make the Vaiśvadeva-related bali offering, emphasizing regularity and discipline in daily dharma.

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

Even routine domestic acts are treated as participation in cosmic governance ultimately rooted in Vishnu; dharma becomes a lived acknowledgement of the Supreme Reality sustaining the world.