Shloka 33

सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः

Devanagari script

देवर्षिपूजकः सम्यक् पितृपिण्डोदकप्रदः सत्कर्ता चातिथीनां यः स लोकान् उत्तमान् व्रजेत्

Transliteration

devarṣipūjakaḥ samyak pitṛpiṇḍodakapradaḥ satkartā cātithīnāṃ yaḥ sa lokān uttamān vrajet

Translation

One who duly worships the gods and the divine seers, who properly offers the ancestral rites—piṇḍa and libations of water—and who honors guests with sincere hospitality: such a person attains the highest worlds.

Word by Word

• देवर्षिपूजकः: one who worships gods and sages
• देवर्षिपूजकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवर्षि-पूजक (प्रातिपदिक: देवर्षि + पूजक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: देवर्षिपूजक (तत्पुरुष: 'worshipper of gods and seers')

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पितृपिण्डोदकप्रदः: giver of offerings and water to ancestors
• पितृपिण्डोदकप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ-पिण्ड-उदक-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक: पितृ + पिण्ड + उदक + प्रद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: पितृपिण्डोदकप्रद (तत्पुरुष: 'giver of piṇḍa and water to ancestors')

• सत्कर्ता: one who honors (others) properly
• सत्कर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्-कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक: सत् + कर्तृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: सत्कर्तृ/सत्कर्ता (तत्पुरुष: 'one who honors well')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• अतिथीनाम्: of guests
• अतिथीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (masc., genitive plural)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (correlative pronoun)

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (masc., accusative plural)

• उत्तमान्: excellent
• उत्तमान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• व्रजेत्: should attain/go to
• व्रजेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. optative)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: merit-producing duties: deva-ṛṣi-pūjā, pitṛ-tarpaṇa (piṇḍa and udaka), and atithi-satkāra, and their fruits

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative with promised phala (result)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: By honoring devas and ṛṣis, sustaining the pitṛs through śrāddha, and welcoming guests, one accrues puṇya leading to higher lokas.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Maintain gratitude rituals (ancestral remembrance, offerings), and practice sincere hospitality and service without arrogance.

Vishishtadvaita: Ritual and social duties are integrated into devotion: honoring devas/ṛṣis/pitṛs is ultimately harmonized under the supremacy of the Lord who ordains these relations.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Devarshis (divine sages)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Atithis (guests)

FAQs

What is the significance of honoring gods, sages, ancestors, and guests in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the gṛhastha’s core duties as a complete cycle of gratitude and upkeep of dharma—worship to devas and ṛṣis, śrāddha to pitṛs, and hospitality to atithis—leading to attainment of higher realms.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the practical path of dharma for householders here?

Parāśara frames dharma as concrete daily and periodic acts—proper worship, correct ancestral offerings (piṇḍa and udaka), and respectful reception of guests—showing that spiritual progress is sustained through disciplined, socially rooted karma.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching assumes a Vishnu-ordered cosmos where dharma preserves universal harmony; by fulfilling these duties, one aligns karma with that divine order and earns access to higher lokas governed within Vishnu’s cosmic sovereignty.