Shloka 40

Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

अतिथिदव्रतता धर्मों धर्मस्त्रेताग्निधारणम्‌ | इष्टी क्ष पशुबन्धां श्व विधिपूर्व समाचरेत्‌

Transliteration

atithidavr̥tatā dharmo dharmas tretāgnidhāraṇam | iṣṭīś ca paśubandhāṁś ca vidhpūrvam samācaret ||

Translation

ଅତିଥିକୁ ଦେବତା ଭାବି ଅତିଥି-ସତ୍କାରରେ ଅଟୁଟ ରହିବା ତାହାର ଧର୍ମ; ଏବଂ ତ୍ରେତାଗ୍ନି (ଗାର୍ହପତ୍ୟାଦି ତିନି ଅଗ୍ନି) ଧାରଣ ଓ ରକ୍ଷା କରିବା ମଧ୍ୟ ଧର୍ମ। ନାନା ପ୍ରକାର ଇଷ୍ଟି ଯଜ୍ଞ ଓ ପଶୁବନ୍ଧାଦି କର୍ମ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେ ବିଧିପୂର୍ବକ ଆଚରଣ କରିବ।

Word by Word

• अतिथिदव्रतता: the vow/practice of giving to guests
• अतिथिदव्रतता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि-द-व्रतता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: duty; righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: duty; righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रेताग्निधारणम्: maintaining the three sacred fires
• त्रेताग्निधारणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता-अग्नि-धारण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इष्टीः: sacrificial rites (iṣṭis)
• इष्टीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

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

• पशुबन्धान्: animal-ties/animal-offerings (paśubandhas)
• पशुबन्धान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु-बन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• विधिपूर्वम्: according to rule; duly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि-पूर्व

• समाचरेत्: should practice/perform
• समाचरेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• Atithi (guest)
• Tretāgni (three sacred fires)
• Iṣṭi (sacrificial rites)
• Paśubandha (animal-offering rite)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma for a householder includes ethical hospitality to guests and disciplined maintenance of sacred obligations—especially preserving the three household fires and performing prescribed Vedic rites correctly (vidhi-pūrvam).

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Mahēśvara is instructing on normative dharma: he enumerates key duties—honoring guests, sustaining the three fires, and conducting sacrifices—presenting them as foundational practices of righteous living.