Shloka 54
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
Devanagari script
अन्निर्मुखं पुरोधाश्व देवानां शुचिषाड् विभुः
Transliteration
annirmukhaṁ purodhāśva devānāṁ śuciṣāḍ vibhuḥ
Translation
Agni, l’Omniprésent, assis dans la pureté parmi les dieux, est le prêtre éminent ; son visage est tourné vers l’offrande de nourriture.
Word by Word
अग्नि-मुखम्having Agni as (its) mouth; fire-faced
अग्नि-मुखम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअग्नि + मुख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पुरोधाःthe priest; the one placed in front (purohita)
पुरोधाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरोधस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
देवानाम्of the gods
देवानाम्:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootदेव
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
शुचि-षाट्pure/bright; (as) the pure one
शुचि-षाट्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशुचि + षाट्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
विभुःthe mighty one; the all-pervading lord
विभुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविभु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
घपच उवाच
Characters & Entities
D
devāḥ (the gods)V
vibhuḥ (the all-pervading/mighty one, as an epithet)P
purodhā (the priestly office)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
That food and giving (anna) attain ethical and sacred value when offered through rightful order—guided by purity and proper priestly mediation—rather than consumed or taken without dharmic orientation.
A speaker describes a divine/authoritative figure among the gods characterized as a pure, powerful ‘purodhā’ (chief priest), whose attention is directed toward the food-offering—framing the act of offering as central to the scene.