Shloka 194

The Greatness of Puṣkara: Tripuṣkara Pilgrimage, Sacred Geography, and the Doctrine of Self-Restraint

Devanagari script

अर्चनं चैव देवेषु सर्वमक्षयकारकम् । अर्घ्यं चोच्चावचं गृह्य शष्कुलापूपकांस्ततः

Transliteration

arcanaṃ caiva deveṣu sarvamakṣayakārakam | arghyaṃ coccāvacaṃ gṛhya śaṣkulāpūpakāṃstataḥ

Translation

Поклонение богам всецело является источником неистощимой заслуги. Взяв аргьхью — почтительное подношение — разных видов, следует затем преподнести ритуальные пищевые дары, такие как шашкула и лепёшки апупака.

Word by Word

• arcanam: worship
• arcanam: Karma (कर्म; (bhavati) implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• deveṣu: among/for the gods
• deveṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location; ‘among/for the gods’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; arcanam इत्यस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘all/entire’

• akṣaya-kārakam: causing imperishable merit
• akṣaya-kārakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; sarvam/arcanam इत्यस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘causing imperishability’

• arghyam: offering (arghya)
• arghyam: Karma (कर्म; gṛhya इत्यस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Karma), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• uccāvacam: various (of different kinds)
• uccāvacam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uccāvacá (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘various/high-and-low’ (arghyam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• gṛhya: having taken
• gṛhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) from √grah; ‘having taken/accepting’

• śaṣkula-āpūpakān: śaṣkula-cakes and āpūpaka-cakes
• śaṣkula-āpūpakān: Karma (कर्म; gṛhya इत्यस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṣkula (प्रातिपदिक) + āpūpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Karma), बहुवचन; ‘śaṣkulas and āpūpakas (cakes)’

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तर (then/thereafter)

Speaker

Unspecified (context-dependent within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 19; likely a narrator/instructor figure in the ongoing dialogue).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: caiva → ca eva; sarvamakṣayakārakam → sarvam akṣaya-kārakam; coccāvacaṃ → ca uccāvacam; śaṣkulāpūpakāṃstataḥ → śaṣkula-āpūpakān tataḥ.

FAQs

What does this verse teach about the spiritual result of worship (arcana)?

It states that worship offered to the devas yields akṣaya—an imperishable, enduring spiritual merit—emphasizing the lasting value of sincere ritual devotion.

What is arghya, and why is it mentioned here?

Arghya is a respectful offering (often water with auspicious substances) presented in worship. The verse highlights offering arghya in various suitable forms as part of proper devotional ritual.

What is the ethical or practical lesson implied by listing items like śaṣkula and āpūpa?

It underscores disciplined, tangible devotion: honoring the divine through appropriate offerings according to one’s means, integrating reverence, generosity, and correct ritual conduct.