Shloka 22

Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda

Householder Duties and Daily Offerings

Devanagari script

श्वभ्यश्न श्वपचेभ्यश्व वयोभ्यश्वावपेद्‌ भुवि । वैश्वदेवं हि नामैतत्‌ सायंप्रातर्विधीयते

Transliteration

śvabhyaśna śvapacebhyaśva vayobhyaśvāvaped bhuvi | vaiśvadevaṃ hi nāmaitat sāyaṃprātar vidhīyate

Translation

风神（Vāyu）说道：“当把食物置于地上，施与犬类、施与食犬肉的贱民（旃陀罗），亦施与群鸟。此即名为‘毗湿婆提婆供’（Vaiśvadeva），当于黄昏与清晨各行一次。”

Word by Word

• श्वभ्यः: to dogs
• श्वभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• अश्न: eat (you should partake)
• अश्न: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular

• श्वपचेभ्यः: to dog-cookers (outcastes)
• श्वपचेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपच
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• अश्वेभ्यः: to horses
• अश्वेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• वयोभ्यः: to birds
• वयोभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस्
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Plural

• अश्वावत्: likewise / similarly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अश्वावत्

• अपेत्: should go/should be placed (away)
• अपेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ
• Form: Aorist, 3rd, Singular

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• वैश्वदेवम्: the Vaiśvadeva offering
• वैश्वदेवम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वदेव
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• नाम: by name / called
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सायंप्रातर्: in the evening and in the morning
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायंप्रातर्

• विधीयते: is prescribed / is enjoined
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Passive

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• dogs
• śvapacas
• birds
• Vaiśvadeva (rite)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Daily dharma includes sharing food beyond one’s household—offering portions to animals and even marginalized humans—framed as the Vaiśvadeva rite performed morning and evening.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu instructs about a prescribed daily practice: placing food on the ground as an offering for dogs, śvapacas, and birds, identifying this act as the Vaiśvadeva observance done twice daily.