Shloka 22

Adhyaya 29 — Alarka’s Inquiry and Madalasa’s Teaching on Householder Dharma (Gārhasthya), Vaiśvadeva, and Atithi Hospitality

Sanskrit

स्थानेषु निक्षिपेत् प्राज्ञस्तास्ता उद्दिश्य देवताः ।

एवं गृहबलिं कृत्वा गृहे गृहपतिः शुचिः ॥

Transliteration

sthāneṣu nikṣipet prājñas tāstā uddiśya devatāḥ / evaṃ gṛhabaliṃ kṛtvā gṛhe gṛhapatiḥ śuciḥ

Translation

జ్ఞానవంతుడు ఆయా దేవతలను నిర్దేశిస్తూ వారి వారి స్థానాలలో భాగాలను ఉంచాలి। ఈ విధంగా గృహబలిని నిర్వహించిన తరువాత గృహస్వామి ఇంటిలో అంతఃశుద్ధిగా ఉంటాడు।

Word by Word

स्थानेषुin the places (designated spots)

निक्षिपेत्should place/deposit

प्राज्ञःthe wise person

ताःthose (offerings)

ताःeach of those

उद्दिश्यhaving dedicated/indicated (to)

देवताःthe deities

एवम्thus

गृह-बलिम्the house-offering

कृत्वाhaving done

गृहेin the house

गृहपतिःthe master of the house

शुचिःpure/clean

Speakers

Not in Devi Māhātmyam; dharma-teaching context.

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

Various devatās (as designated in the rite)

Key Themes

DharmaVaiśvadevaHousehold ritesRitual intentionality (uddiśya)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purity is framed as a consequence of conscientious duty: the householder becomes ‘śuci’ not by exclusion, but by correct distribution—giving each sphere its due.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/Dharma layer; Purāṇas often interweave such prescriptive passages alongside genealogical and cosmological accounts.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Uddiśya’ (intentional designation) implies that offering is fundamentally about directed consciousness; places in the home become a mapped sacred cosmos when paired with correct invocation.