Shloka 18

कल्मषापहर-कीर्तनम् / Kīrtana for the Removal of Impurity

Devanagari script

मार्गहिस्थ च ये मार्ग न यच्छन्त्यल्पबुद्धय: । पाद्या्हस्य च ये पाद्यं न ददत्यल्पबुद्धय:

Transliteration

mārga-sthāś ca ye mārgaṁ na yacchanty alpa-buddhayaḥ | pādyārhasya ca ye pādyaṁ na dadaty alpa-buddhayaḥ ||

Translation

Những kẻ trí tuệ kém cỏi ấy, dù đứng ngay trên đường, cũng không chỉ lối cho người đáng được dẫn đường; và đối với vị khách đáng tôn kính, xứng đáng được dâng nước rửa chân, họ cũng chẳng dâng một giọt nào.

Word by Word

• मार्गहिताः: those for whom (a) path is beneficial / those who deserve guidance on the path
• मार्गहिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मार्गहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मार्गम्: path, way
• मार्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• यच्छन्ति: they give, grant, provide
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अल्पबुद्धयः: people of little understanding
• अल्पबुद्धयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पबुद्धि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाद्यस्य: of foot-washing water (pādya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाद्यम्: foot-washing water (offering)
• पाद्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ददति: they give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अल्पबुद्धयः: people of little understanding
• अल्पबुद्धयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पबुद्धि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī-Maheśvara (speaker)
• mārga (road/path)
• pādya (foot-washing water)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should practice basic dharma through helpfulness and hospitality: guide those who need directions and honor worthy guests with customary respect (such as offering pādya). Neglecting these simple duties reflects poor discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Maheśvara is enumerating behaviors that mark a person as lacking wisdom—specifically, refusing to help travelers by indicating the way and failing to perform respectful guest-reception for those who deserve honor.