Shloka 98

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

पर्जन्याय धरित्रीणां दद्याच्च माणके त्रयम् । वायवे च प्रतिदिशं दिग्भ्यः प्राच्यादितः क्रमात् ॥

Transliteration

parjanyāya dharitrīṇāṃ dadyācca māṇake trayam | vāyave ca pratidiśaṃ digbhyaḥ prācyāditaḥ kramāt ||

Translation

Hendaklah ia mempersembahkan tiga sukatan māṇaka kepada Parjanya (dewa hujan) dan kepada Bumi; dan juga kepada Vāyu (Dewa Angin) pada setiap arah—dengan membuat persembahan kepada penjuru-penjuru bermula dari Timur, menurut tertib yang wajar.

Word by Word

पर्जन्यायto Parjanya (rain-god)

धरित्रीणाम्of the earths / of the earth (supporters)

दद्यात्should give

चand

माणकेin/into the measuring vessel (māṇaka)

त्रयम्three (measures)

वायवेto Vāyu (wind-god)

चand

प्रतिदिशम्in each direction

दिग्भ्यःfrom the directions

प्राच्यादितःstarting from the east, etc.

क्रमात्in order, sequentially

Speakers

Not specified in the provided excerpt (instructional narrative voice within the Purāṇa’s dharma section)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

ParjanyaDharitrī (Earth)VāyuDik-devatās (guardians/presiding powers of directions)

Key Themes

DharmaGṛhastha-dutiesRitual procedureDirectional offerings

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The householder is taught to honor the sustaining forces of life—rain, earth, wind, and the cosmic quarters—before personal consumption. Ethically, it encodes gratitude and reciprocity with nature and the cosmic order (ṛta/dharma).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage is primarily Ācāra/Dharma instruction (not one of the strict pañcalakṣaṇa items: sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). In Purāṇic classification it belongs to dharma-śāstra style material embedded in the Purāṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Directional offerings symbolize harmonizing the practitioner’s microcosm with the macrocosm: breath (vāyu), fertility (parjanya), stability (dharitrī), and spatial order (diśaḥ). Beginning with the East reflects alignment with solar/ritual orientation.