Shloka 19

Adhyaya 31 — Naimittika and Related Śrāddha Rites: Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, Eligibility, Timing, and Procedure

Sanskrit

तस्य कालानहं वक्ष्ये नित्यनैमित्तिकात्मकान् ।

विधिना येन च नरैः क्रियते तन्निबोध मे ॥

Transliteration

tasya kālān ahaṃ vakṣye nitya-naimittikātmākān /

vidhinā yena ca naraiḥ kriyate tan nibodha me

Translation

سأبيّن أوقاته اللائقة—سواء ما كان يوميًّا (nitya) أو ما كان عارضًا بحسب المناسبة (naimittika)—وأذكر الطريقة التي يؤدي بها الناس هذا العمل؛ فافهم ذلك عنّي.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; genitive ‘of that/its’

• कालान्: times; occasions
• कालान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; object

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: I will tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नित्य-नैमित्तिक-आत्मकान्: having the nature of regular and occasional (rites)
• नित्य-नैमित्तिक-आत्मकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष-प्रधानः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘having the nature of (ātmakāḥ) nitya and naimittika’

• विधिना: by the prescribed procedure
• विधिना: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental ‘by rule/according to procedure’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘by which’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agent in passive

• क्रियते: is done; is performed
• क्रियते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; object ‘that’

• निबोध: understand; learn
• निबोध: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-नि

• मे: from me; my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (enclitic); here genitive ‘of me/from me’ in sense ‘from me’

Speakers

• Not specified in provided excerpt (didactic narrator/teacher voice)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ritual taxonomy
• Nitya vs Naimittika karma
• Pitṛ-pūjā

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is not only intention but also discernment of context: some duties are regular (nitya), others arise from specific triggers (naimittika). The verse frames śrāddha as a disciplined practice integrated with time, event, and rule.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This is āhnika/ācāra (ritual conduct) material, supplementary to pancalakṣaṇa; it reflects Purāṇic pedagogy that combines cosmology with lived dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Time’ (kāla) is treated as a sacred organizer of merit: aligning acts with auspicious or mandated temporal nodes mirrors harmonizing the microcosm (householder life) with the macrocosm (cosmic order).