Shloka 54

Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)

Devanagari script

अन्निर्मुखं पुरोधाश्व देवानां शुचिषाड्‌ विभुः

Transliteration

annirmukhaṁ purodhāśva devānāṁ śuciṣāḍ vibhuḥ

Translation

Si Agni, ang sumasaklaw sa lahat, na nakaluklok sa kadalisayan sa gitna ng mga diyos, ang pangunahing pari; ang kaniyang mukha’y nakaharap sa handog na pagkain.

Word by Word

• अग्नि-मुखम्: having Agni as (its) mouth; fire-faced
• अग्नि-मुखम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + मुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुरोधाः: the priest; the one placed in front (purohita)
• पुरोधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• शुचि-षाट्: pure/bright; (as) the pure one
• शुचि-षाट्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि + षाट्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विभुः: the mighty one; the all-pervading lord
• विभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

घपच उवाच

Characters & Entities

• devāḥ (the gods)
• vibhuḥ (the all-pervading/mighty one, as an epithet)
• purodhā (the priestly office)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That food and giving (anna) attain ethical and sacred value when offered through rightful order—guided by purity and proper priestly mediation—rather than consumed or taken without dharmic orientation.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker describes a divine/authoritative figure among the gods characterized as a pure, powerful ‘purodhā’ (chief priest), whose attention is directed toward the food-offering—framing the act of offering as central to the scene.