Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा काम्योदकं सम्यग् एतेभ्यः श्रद्धयान्वितः आचम्य च ततो दद्यात् सूर्याय सलिलाञ्जलिम्

Transliteration

dattvā kāmyodakaṃ samyag etebhyaḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ ācamya ca tato dadyāt sūryāya salilāñjalim

Translation

Having properly offered the kāmya water to these recipients with faith, he should then perform ācamana; thereafter he should offer to the Sun a joined handful of water as an oblation.

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु), त्वा-प्रत्यय (क्त्वान्त/gerund)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा) — ‘having given’

• काम्य: wish-fulfilling
• काम्य: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) — ‘desired/wish-fulfilling’

• उदकम्: (that) water
• उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘kāmyodaka’ as object of दत्त्वा

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb) — ‘properly, duly’

• एतेभ्यः: to these (persons)
• एतेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन — ablative ‘from/for these’; here dative sense ‘to these’ is also possible in usage

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental ‘with faith’

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (कृदन्त, √इ (धातु) + अनु, क्त-प्रत्यय PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘endowed/possessed’ (qualifies implied doer)

• आचम्य: having sipped (ācamana)
• आचम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चम् (धातु) with आ-; ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष (gerund)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/gerund) — ‘having sipped (water), having performed ācamana’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रमवाचक adverb) — ‘then/thereafter’

• दद्यात्: should offer
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘should give’

• सूर्याय: to the Sun
• सूर्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन — dative ‘to the Sun’

• सलिल: water
• सलिल: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) — ‘water’

• अञ्जलिम्: a handful (añjali)
• अञ्जलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘a handful/añjali (of water)’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual acts bear fruit when performed in proper sequence and with śraddhā, culminating in Sūrya-tarpaṇa as cosmic acknowledgement.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When practicing any discipline (religious or ethical), keep clarity of steps, cleanliness, and sincerity rather than haste.

Vishishtadvaita: Ordered karma offered within the divine cosmic administration (Sūrya as adhi-devatā) aligns the individual with Bhagavān’s niyama (cosmic order).

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya

FAQs

What is the significance of offering water to Surya in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse places the Sun-offering immediately after purification (ācamana), presenting Surya as a key witness and sustainer of cosmic order, and making the rite complete and properly sequenced.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the importance of śraddhā (faith) in ritual acts?

Parāśara explicitly qualifies the offering as “śraddhayānvitaḥ,” indicating that correct procedure (samyak) is joined to inner sincerity for the act to be dharmically valid.

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

Even in ritual instructions, the Vishnu Purana frames dharma as participation in a divinely sustained order; offerings to deities like Surya function within a cosmos ultimately governed and supported by Vishnu as Supreme Reality.