Shloka 6

Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda

Householder Duties and Daily Offerings

Devanagari script

सदा यज्ञेन देवाश्व सदा55तिथ्येन मानुषा: । छन्‍्दतश्न यथा नित्यमर्हान्‌ भुञज्जीत नित्यश:

Transliteration

sadā yajñena devāś ca sadātithyena mānuṣāḥ | chandasā ca yathā nityam arhān bhuñjīta nityaśaḥ ||

Translation

നിത്യ യജ്ഞ-ഹോമംകൊണ്ട് ദേവന്മാരെയും, നിത്യ അതിഥിസത്കാരത്തോടെ മനുഷ്യരെയും, കൂടാതെ ഛന്ദസ് (വേദമന്ത്ര)ങ്ങളുടെ നിത്യ സ്വാധ്യായംകൊണ്ട് പൂജ്യരെയും യഥാവിധി ആദരിക്കണം; ഈ കർത്തവ്യങ്ങൾ കഴിഞ്ഞശേഷം മാത്രമേ ദിനംപ്രതി ആഹാരം കഴിക്കേണ്ടത് ഉചിതമാകൂ.

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• यज्ञेन: by/through sacrifice
• यज्ञेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• आतिथ्येन: by hospitality (to guests)
• आतिथ्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मानुषाः: men/humans
• मानुषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• छन्दतः: according to the Veda (as per the sacred meter/authority)
• छन्दतः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यथा: as/according as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• नित्यम्: always, regularly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• अर्हान्: the worthy (persons)
• अर्हान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• भुञ्जीत: should feed/should partake (after honoring)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नित्यशः: daily, regularly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशस्

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Devas (gods)
• Atithi (guest)
• Chandas/Veda (Vedic hymns/meters)
• Arhāḥ (worthy persons, e.g., ṛṣis)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a daily ethical order: worship the gods through yajña, serve people through hospitality, and honor the Veda and the worthy (especially sages) through regular study and reverence; only after these duties should one eat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing on proper conduct (ācāra) and daily discipline, emphasizing that eating is to be preceded by acts of offering, hospitality, and reverence—placing personal consumption after dharmic obligations.