Shloka 13

Pātra-Nirṇaya and Ritual Procedure: Who to Feed, Who to Avoid, and Step-by-Step Śrāddha Performance

Devanagari script

पादशौचादिना गेहम् आगतान् पूजयेद् द्विजान्

Transliteration

pādaśaucādinā geham āgatān pūjayed dvijān

Translation

Khi các vị dvija đến nhà, nên kính tiếp đãi bằng lễ nghi hiếu khách, bắt đầu từ việc rửa chân.

Word by Word

• pādaśaucādinā: by (offering) foot-washing and the like
• pādaśaucādinā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādaśauca + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम्; ‘pāda-śauca’ (पादयोः शौचम्) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः, तस्य ‘आदि’ सहितः; करणवाचकः (by foot-washing etc.)

• geham: house
• geham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• āgatān: who have come
• āgatān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• pūjayet: should honor / worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• dvijān: Brahmins
• dvijān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Concrete acts of honoring arriving dvija guests—beginning with washing the feet (pāda-śauca).

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: practical

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Honoring dvija guests through acts like washing their feet embodies dharma and sanctifies the household as a place of service.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice reverent hospitality—offer water, a seat, food, and respectful attention—especially to elders, teachers, and renunciants.

Vishishtadvaita: Service (kainkarya) expressed through embodied gestures; the sacred is encountered in persons, aligning everyday action with devotion.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (the twice-born)

FAQs

What is the significance of welcoming guests in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats hospitality as gṛhastha-dharma: honouring arriving dvijas—beginning with foot-washing—upholds social and ritual order, reflecting dharma as a pillar of the world’s stability.

How does Sage Parāśara explain proper householder conduct here?

Parāśara frames the home as a place where dharma is enacted through concrete rites—respectful reception, purification, and honour—so daily conduct becomes a disciplined offering aligned with sacred law.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the ethic serves a Vaishnava vision of cosmic governance: dharma in the household mirrors the Supreme Order sustained by Vishnu, turning social duty into devotion through reverent action.