Shloka 78

Brahmin Right Conduct: Morning Remembrance, Bathing, Purification, and Tarpaṇa Method

Devanagari script

आचाराच्च परं लोकमाचारं शृणु तत्त्वतः । गोमयेन गृहे नित्यं प्रकुर्यादुपलेपनम्

Transliteration

ācārācca paraṃ lokamācāraṃ śṛṇu tattvataḥ | gomayena gṛhe nityaṃ prakuryādupalepanam

Translation

आचाराच्च परो लोकः, आचारं शृणु तत्त्वतः। गोमयेन गृहे नित्यं प्रकुर्यादुपलेपनम्॥

Word by Word

• आचारात्: from conduct/practice
• आचारात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (अपादान/ablative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• परम्: higher/supreme
• परम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म/accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म/accusative), एकवचन

• आचारम्: conduct (right practice)
• आचारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म/accusative), एकवचन

• शृणु: hear/listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वतः: truly/in reality
• तत्त्वतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीत्यर्थे (adverb: in truth/accurately)

• गोमयेन: with cow-dung
• गोमयेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (करण/instrumental), एकवचन

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण/locative), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial use: always)

• प्रकुर्यात्: should do/perform
• प्रकुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उपलेपनम्: plastering/smearing (coating)
• उपलेपनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपलेपन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म/accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (act of plastering/smearing)

Speaker

Unspecified (context-dependent within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa narration)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: आचाराच्च = आचारात् + च; लोकमाचारं = लोकम् + आचारम्; प्रकुर्यादुपलेपनम् = प्रकुर्यात् + उपलेपनम्

FAQs

What practice is prescribed in this verse?

It prescribes regularly plastering (smearing) the home—traditionally floors or thresholds—with cow-dung as a purity-maintaining household observance.

How should “tattvataḥ” be understood here?

“Tattvataḥ” means “in truth/essentially,” signaling that the speaker presents this as a core, practical marker of proper conduct (ācāra), not merely an external custom.

What is the ethical lesson conveyed by this instruction?

The verse frames spirituality as grounded in disciplined daily conduct: maintaining cleanliness and sanctity in one’s living space is treated as part of dharmic life, not separate from it.