Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वार्यायुधप्रतोदास् तु दण्डश् च द्विजभोजनात् स्प्रष्टव्यो ऽनन्तरं वर्णैः शुध्येरंस् ते ततः क्रमात्

Transliteration

vāryāyudhapratodās tu daṇḍaś ca dvijabhojanāt spraṣṭavyo 'nantaraṃ varṇaiḥ śudhyeraṃs te tataḥ kramāt

Translation

Water-vessels, weapons, goads, and the staff—once used in connection with a brāhmaṇa’s meal—should thereafter be touched in proper sequence by the succeeding social orders; by that successive contact they are regarded as purified.

Word by Word

• वारि-आयुध-प्रतोदाः: water-weapon(s) and goad(s) (implements)
• वारि-आयुध-प्रतोदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (समाहार/इतरेतर-सम्भवः), ‘वार्यायुध’ (जलायुध) + ‘प्रतोद’ (अङ्कुश/प्रेरकदण्ड) इत्यर्थे

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक ‘but/indeed’

• दण्डः: staff/rod
• दण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• द्विज-भोजनात्: from feeding Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विज-भोजनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘द्विजानां भोजनम्’

• स्प्रष्टव्यः: should be touched
• स्प्रष्टव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/कर्तव्यताप्रत्यय -तव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ‘to be touched/should be touched’

• अनन्तरम्: immediately thereafter
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावप्राय प्रयोग; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘immediately/thereafter’

• वर्णैः: by (the) varṇas / by the classes (persons of the varṇas)
• वर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• शुध्येरन्: they should become purified
• शुध्येरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धात्वर्थः ‘to become pure’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘then/from that’

• क्रमात्: in due order
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण ‘in order/step by step’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Śrāddha/āśauca-related rules of purity and post-meal ritual handling in rites connected with brāhmaṇa-feeding

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual purity is maintained through prescribed social-ritual sequencing (varṇa-krama) in acts connected with brāhmaṇa-feeding.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In any sacred or communal service, follow established procedure and maintain cleanliness and role-appropriate boundaries with humility.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma as Bhagavad-ājñā: ordered conduct sustains the Lord’s cosmic-social harmony (niyati) even in quotidian ritual details.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Varṇas

FAQs

What is the significance of sequential touching by varṇas in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse it functions as a ritual mechanism of restoring purity to certain objects after a specific context (a dvija’s meal), reflecting the text’s broader concern with maintaining dharma through regulated social procedure.

How does Sage Parāśara explain purification (śaucha) in this chapter?

Parāśara presents śaucha as rule-governed and context-sensitive—objects can be purified not only by washing but also by prescribed forms of contact and order, emphasizing discipline and social regulation.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in a given verse, the Vishnu Purana frames dharma and purity as part of the sustaining order of the world—an expression of the sovereign cosmic governance ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the Supreme Reality.