Shloka 65

Adhyaya 2 — The Wise Birds

Sanskrit

अपाम्पतेर्गोष्पतिवित्तरक्षिणोः समीरणस्यापि तथा द्विजोत्तमाः ।

धातुर्विधातुस्त्वथ वैश्वदेविकाः श्रुतिप्रयुक्ता विविधास्तु सत्क्रियाः ॥

Transliteration

apāmpater goṣpati-vitta-rakṣiṇoḥ samīraṇasyāpi tathā dvijottamāḥ |

dhātur vidhātus tv atha vaiśvadevikāḥ śruti-prayuktā vividhās tu satkriyāḥ ||

Translation

हे द्विजश्रेष्ठ! वेदविहित सत्क्रिया अनेक प्रकारच्या आहेत—जलाधिपती वरुणाशी संबंधित, पशुपतीशी, धनरक्षक (कुबेर) शी, तसेच वायूशी; तसेच धाता व विधाता यांच्यासाठी, आणि सर्वदेवांशी संबंधित वैश्वदेव कर्मही आहेत।

Word by Word

अपाम्of waters

पतेःof the lord

गोष्पति-वित्त-रक्षिणोःof Goṣpati and Vittarakṣin

समीरणस्यof the wind (Samīraṇa)

अपिalso

तथाlikewise

द्विजोत्तमाःthe best of the twice-born (brahmins)

धातुःDhātu (a deity/name)

विधातुःVidhātu (a deity/name)

तुand/indeed

अथthen

वैश्वदेविकाःthe Vaiśvadevika (rites/agents related to the Viśvedevas)

श्रुति-प्रयुक्ताःenjoined by the Veda

विविधाःvarious

तुindeed

सत्क्रियाःgood rites/observances

Speakers

Unclear from the single verse excerpt; situated in the early Markandeya Purana discourse on dharma/ritual (likely a narrator addressing dvijas).

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

Apāṃpati (Lord of Waters)Goṣpati (Lord of Cattle)Vitta-rakṣin (Protector of Wealth)Vāyu (Samīraṇa)DhātṛVidhātṛViśvedevas (All-gods)

Key Themes

DharmaVedic ritualism (Śrauta/Smārta orientation)Devatā-specific ritesHouseholder observances (implied through Vaiśvadeva)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is presented as structured and Veda-grounded: sacred action is not random but ‘śruti-prayukta’—authorized by revelation—and diversified according to cosmic functions (waters, wind, wealth, cattle, sustaining/ordering powers). Ethically, it frames piety as disciplined alignment with the cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) through correctly directed worship and offerings.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse most naturally falls under Dharma/ācāra instruction rather than the five hallmark purāṇic topics. Indirectly it supports ‘Sarga’/cosmic order by mapping ritual obligations to cosmic administrators (deities as functional principles), but it is primarily an ācāra (conduct/ritual) passage.

What is the esoteric significance?

The listed deities can be read as personified powers governing essential life-supporting domains—water (ap), breath/wind (prāṇa as samīraṇa), prosperity/wealth (artha), cattle/food economy, and cosmic regulation (dhātṛ/vidhātṛ). The ‘many rites’ imply that spiritual practice must touch multiple strata of existence, integrating material sustenance and metaphysical order into a single sacrificial worldview.