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Shloka 78

Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation

एष वः कथितो धर्मो गृहस्थानां द्विजोत्तमाः / ज्ञात्वानुतिष्ठेन्नियतं तथानुष्ठापयेद् द्विजान्

eṣa vaḥ kathito dharmo gṛhasthānāṃ dvijottamāḥ / jñātvānutiṣṭhenniyataṃ tathānuṣṭhāpayed dvijān

एष वः गृहस्थानां धर्मः कथितः, हे द्विजोत्तमाः। एतं ज्ञात्वा नित्यं सम्यगनुतिष्ठेत्, तथा चान्यान् द्विजानपि अनुष्ठापयेत्।

eṣaḥthis
eṣaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देश (this)
vaḥfor you / of you
vaḥ:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/Genitive or 4th/Dative), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप; ‘of you/for you’
kathitaḥhas been told
kathitaḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया; भावार्थ)
TypeAdjective
Root√kath (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (told/declared)
dharmaḥdharma/duty
dharmaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
gṛhasthānāmof householders
gṛhasthānām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootgṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
dvija-uttamāḥO best of the twice-born
dvija-uttamāḥ:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास (श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense)
jñātvāhaving known
jñātvā:
Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√jñā (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having known)
anutiṣṭhetshould practice/perform
anutiṣṭhet:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootanu-√sthā (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; सकर्मक (to carry out)
niyatamregularly
niyatam:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootniyata (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: regularly/with restraint)
tathālikewise
tathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; तदनुरूप (thus/likewise)
anuṣṭhāpayetshould cause (others) to perform
anuṣṭhāpayet:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootanu-√sthā (धातु) (णिच् causative: anuṣṭhāpaya)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: should cause to perform)
dvijānthe twice-born (brahmins etc.)
dvijān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Sūta (narrator) conveying the teaching as part of the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instruction to sages

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

G
Gṛhastha
D
Dvija
D
Dharma

FAQs

This verse is primarily prescriptive (dharma-vidhi) rather than metaphysical: it emphasizes disciplined practice and transmission of righteous conduct, which in the Purāṇic framework supports inner purification that prepares one for higher knowledge of Ātman.

No specific āsana or meditation is named; the “niyataṃ” (regular, disciplined) emphasis aligns with yoga-śāstra’s stress on niyama and steady practice—here applied to gṛhastha-dharma as a foundational sādhana.

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; its synthesis is indirect—by stressing śāstric discipline and dharma-teaching, it supports the Kurma Purana’s broader aim of integrating devotional and ethical practice that undergirds both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths.