Shloka 41

Devanagari script

ततो गृहार्चनं कुर्याद् अभीष्टसुरपूजनम् जलाभिषेकपुष्पाणां धूपादेश् च निवेदनैः

Transliteration

tato gṛhārcanaṃ kuryād abhīṣṭasurapūjanam jalābhiṣekapuṣpāṇāṃ dhūpādeś ca nivedanaiḥ

Translation

Thereafter, one should perform worship within the home—adoring the chosen divine form—by bathing (abhiseka) with water, offering flowers, presenting incense and the like, and concluding with offerings of food (naivedya).

Word by Word

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

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

• अर्चनम्: worship
• अर्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; from √अर्च्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘worship’ (as object of कुर्याद्)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘should do/perform’

• अभीष्ट: desired
• अभीष्ट: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; from √इष् with अभि, क्त)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) — ‘desired/favoured’

• सुर: deity
• सुर: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) — ‘deity/god’

• पूजनम्: worship (of the chosen deity)
• पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक; from √पूज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘worship/adoration’ (object of कुर्यात्)

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

• अभिषेक: ablution
• अभिषेक: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) — ‘sprinkling/ablution’

• पुष्पाणाम्: of flowers (and water-ablution items)
• पुष्पाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — genitive plural; in compound ‘जल-अभिषेक-पुष्प’ (items)

• धूप: incense
• धूप: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) — ‘incense’

• आदेः: and so on
• आदेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive ‘etc.’ (of incense etc.)

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

• निवेदनैः: with offerings
• निवेदनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवेदन (प्रातिपदिक; from √विद् with नि, causative sense ‘to present’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — instrumental plural ‘with offerings/presentations’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: After dāna and Sūrya-tarpaṇa, one should complete the dhārmic day with gṛhārcana—water ablution, flowers, incense, and naivedya to the iṣṭa-devatā.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Maintain a simple daily home practice: cleanliness, a small water offering, a flower/incense, and mindful food offering before eating.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal upāsanā to the chosen form (iṣṭa) affirms Bhagavān’s accessibility (saulabhya) while remaining the supreme indwelling reality.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: dasya

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ishta-devata (chosen deity)

FAQs

What is the significance of household worship (gṛhārcana) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames home-puja as a disciplined daily act that sustains dharma—honoring the divine through ablution, fragrance, flowers, and food offerings in an ordered sequence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the basic method of worship here?

He presents a simple, practical sequence: worship the chosen deity at home using water for abhiṣeka, flowers, incense and related offerings, and finally naivedya (presented food).

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

Even when phrased as worship of the ‘chosen deity,’ the Vishnu Purana’s devotional framework ultimately situates such worship in reverence to Vishnu as the supreme sustaining reality, approached through tangible offerings and reverent order.