Shloka 4

Brahmin Conduct, Purificatory Baths, and the Garuḍa–Nectar Episode

Illustrative Narrative

Devanagari script

सत्यशौचादिभिश्चैव योगज्ञानाग्नितर्पणैः । पंचस्नानानानि विप्राणां कीर्तितानि महर्षिभिः

Transliteration

satyaśaucādibhiścaiva yogajñānāgnitarpaṇaiḥ | paṃcasnānānāni viprāṇāṃ kīrtitāni maharṣibhiḥ

Translation

સત્ય, શૌચ આદિ તેમજ યોગ, જ્ઞાન, અગ્નિકર્મ અને તર્પણ—મહર્ષિઓએ આને વિપ્રોના પાંચ ‘સ્નાન’ તરીકે કીર્તિત કર્યા છે।

Word by Word

• सत्यशौचादिभिः: by truthfulness, purity, etc.
• सत्यशौचादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शौच (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः (सत्यशौचं आदिः येषां तैः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• योगज्ञानाग्नितर्पणैः: by yoga, knowledge, fire(-rite), and tarpaṇa
• योगज्ञानाग्नितर्पणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; चतुर्थ-द्वन्द्वः (योगः ज्ञानं अग्निः तर्पणं च)

• पञ्चस्नानानानि: the five baths
• पञ्चस्नानानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च स्नानानि)

• विप्राणाम्: of brāhmaṇas
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• कीर्तितानि: have been declared
• कीर्तितानि: Kriya (Predication/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) used predicatively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• महर्षिभिः: by the great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed to identify the dialogue frame).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: सत्यशौचादिभिश्चैव = सत्यशौचादिभिः + च + एव; योगज्ञानाग्नितर्पणैः is a dvandva compound in instrumental plural; कीर्तितानि is PPP agreeing with पञ्चस्नानानानि; verse has orthographic variant 'पंचस्नानानानि' for 'पञ्चस्नानानि'.

FAQs

What are the “five baths” (pañca-snānāni) mentioned here?

They are five modes of purification attributed to a vipra: (1) satya (truthfulness), (2) śauca (purity), (3) yoga (discipline/meditative practice), (4) jñāna (spiritual knowledge), and (5) agni-tarpaṇa (fire-rite and libations/offerings that ‘satisfy’ gods/ancestors).

Does this verse prioritize inner ethics over physical bathing?

Yes. By calling virtues and sacred duties “baths,” it frames purification primarily as ethical and spiritual—truth, purity, disciplined practice, knowledge, and rite—rather than only as external water-bathing.

What is the ethical lesson emphasized for a vipra (Brahmin)?

The verse teaches that a Brahmin’s purity is upheld through truthfulness, cleanliness, disciplined practice, spiritual understanding, and faithful performance of sacred rites and offerings.