Shloka 24

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

Sanskrit

वैश्वदेवं हि नामैतत् सायं प्रातरुदाहृतम् ।

आचम्य च ततः कुर्यात् प्राज्ञो द्वारावलोकनम् ॥

Transliteration

vaiśvadevaṃ hi nāmaitat sāyaṃ prātar udāhṛtam / ācamya ca tataḥ kuryāt prājño dvārāvalokanam

Translation

Đây quả thật được gọi là nghi lễ Vaiśvadeva, được dạy phải thực hành vào buổi tối và buổi sáng. Sau khi súc miệng, uống nước thanh tịnh (ācamana), người trí nên nhìn về phía cửa để xem có khách đến hay không.

Word by Word

• vaiśvadevam: the Vaiśvadeva (rite/oblation)
• vaiśvadevam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśvadeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphatic/causal

• nāma: by name/namely
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), naming/quotative

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sāyam: in the evening
• sāyam: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāyam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of time

• prātar: in the morning
• prātar: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātar (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of time

• udāhṛtam: is uttered/recited
• udāhṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-√hṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ācamya: having sipped (water)
• ācamya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√cam (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त), expressing prior action

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तसिल्-प्रत्यय), sequence marker

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• prājñaḥ: the wise man
• prājñaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• dvāra-avalokanam: looking at the doorway
• dvāra-avalokanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक) + avalokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'of the door' + 'looking'

Speakers

• Not in Devi Māhātmyam; gṛhastha-dharma instruction.

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Viśvedevas (collective ‘all-gods’ concept)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Vaiśvadeva
• Atithi-dharma
• Daily ritual cycle

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Worship and hospitality are linked: after offering to the divine, one immediately turns to the human/divine guest at the threshold—making the home a site of both devotion and service.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ācāra/Dharma passage; it supports the Purāṇic social-religious program rather than cosmological enumeration.

What is the esoteric significance?

The doorway is the meeting point of worlds; ‘dvārāvalokana’ symbolizes readiness to receive dharma in embodied form (the guest), not merely as an abstract rite.