Shloka 86

Devanagari script

गुरूणां च नमस्कारं नित्यमेव समाचरेत् । हस्तपादे मुखे चैव पंचार्द्रो भोजनं चरेत्

Transliteration

gurūṇāṃ ca namaskāraṃ nityameva samācaret | hastapāde mukhe caiva paṃcārdro bhojanaṃ caret

Translation

ഗുരുക്കന്മാർക്ക് നിത്യവും നമസ്കാരം ചെയ്യണം. കൈ, കാൽ, മുഖം കഴുകിയ ശേഷം മാത്രമേ ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കാവൂ.

Word by Word

गुरूणाम्of the teachers/elders

चand

नमस्कारम्salutation

नित्यम्always

एवindeed

समाचरेत्should practice/perform

हस्तपादेon the hands and feet

मुखेon the face/mouth

चand

एवonly/indeed

पञ्चार्द्रः(one) having five parts moist (i.e., with proper moistness)

भोजनम्food/meal

चरेत्should partake/should eat (lit. should do)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narration/instruction within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Daily namaskāra to gurus and mindful cleanliness before eating are pillars of civilized, dharmic life.

Application: Begin the day with gratitude to teachers/elders; wash hands/feet/mouth before meals; treat eating as a mindful act, ideally as prasāda.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A student stands with folded hands before a seated guru beneath a shaded veranda, then moves to a low dining space where water is poured over hands and feet before taking food as if it were prasāda. The scene links reverence and cleanliness, showing dharma as lived choreography.","primary_figures":["guru (ācārya)","disciple (śiṣya)"],"setting":"āśrama veranda with palm-leaf manuscripts, water pot, simple meal on a leaf plate, small lamp and a distant Tulasi shrine","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ochre","lamp gold","leaf green","sandalwood beige","deep brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: guru seated on a low seat with palm-leaf manuscripts, disciple offering namaskāra; adjacent vignette of washing hands/feet/mouth before eating; gold leaf on halo-like lamp glow and vessels, rich reds/greens, traditional iconographic symmetry emphasizing guru-sevā and śauca.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: two-part narrative panel—first the disciple’s pranāma to the guru, then a quiet meal preceded by washing; delicate brushwork, cool shaded veranda, refined expressions, thin decorative border with floral motifs.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of guru and disciple, stylized manuscripts and water pot, ritual washing before meal; earthy pigments with red/yellow/green dominance, temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of a devotee receiving prasāda after guru-vandana, ornate border of lotuses and Tulasi leaves, deep blue background with gold highlights, small Krishna emblem above the meal to suggest prasāda-bhāva."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bell","water pouring","soft mantra hum","rustle of palm leaves"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: नित्यमेव = नित्यम् + एव; मुखे चैव = मुखे + च + एव; पंचार्द्रो = पञ्चार्द्रः (visarga before voiced consonant lost in saṃhitā).

FAQs

What practice toward gurus is taught in this verse?

It instructs that one should offer namaskāra (reverent salutations) to one’s teachers regularly—ideally as a daily discipline.

What does the verse say about cleanliness before meals?

It emphasizes basic ritual hygiene: washing the hands and feet and cleansing the mouth before eating.

What is the ethical lesson conveyed here?

Respect for teachers and personal purity are presented as everyday expressions of dharma—humility in attitude and cleanliness in conduct.