Shloka 23

Pratyakṣa–Āgama–Ācāra: Doubt, Proof, and the Practice of Dharma (प्रत्यक्ष–आगम–आचारविचारः)

Devanagari script

त्रिकालमभिषेक श्न होत्र॑ त्वृषिकृतं महत्‌ । समाधिसत्पथस्थानं यथोद्दिष्टनिषेवणम्‌

Transliteration

trikālam abhiṣeka-snānāh hotraṁ tv ṛṣikṛtaṁ mahat | samādhi-satpatha-sthānaṁ yathoddiṣṭa-niṣevaṇam ||

Translation

Śrī Maheśvara dit : «Pour les sages, voici un devoir grand et consacré par l’antiquité : se baigner à l’eau aux trois moments du jour, entretenir le feu sacré et y offrir les oblats, cultiver l’absorption méditative, demeurer établi sur la voie juste, et accomplir les disciplines prescrites par les Écritures.»

Word by Word

• {'trikālam': 'at the three times (morning, midday, evening)', 'abhiṣeka-snānāni (abhiṣeka-snānāḥ)': 'ritual bathings/ablutions with water', 'hotram': 'fire-offering

• the act of offering oblations into the sacred fire', 'ṛṣikṛtam': 'established/observed by the ṛṣis (sages)

• sanctioned by seers', 'mahat': 'great

• of high importance', 'samādhi': 'meditative absorption

• deep concentration', 'satpatha': 'the good/true path

• righteous conduct', 'sthānam': 'abiding

• being established (in)', 'yathoddiṣṭa': 'as prescribed

• as specifically enjoined', 'niṣevaṇam': 'practice

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara
• ṛṣis (sages)
• water (for bathing)
• agni (sacred fire)
• homa/hotra (oblations)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a balanced dharmic discipline for sages: regular purification (three daily baths), maintenance of sacrificial duty (fire oblations), inner cultivation (samādhi), moral orientation (walking the true path), and faithful performance of scripturally prescribed practices.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheśvara is instructing about the proper conduct and daily regimen expected of ṛṣis, presenting it as an ancient, authoritative duty established by seers and aligned with scriptural injunctions.