Shloka 20

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

Sanskrit

कार्यं श्राद्धममावास्यां मासि मास्युडुपक्षये ।

तथाष्टकास्वप्यवश्यमिच्छाकालं निबोध मे ॥

Transliteration

kāryaṃ śrāddham amāvāsyāṃ māsi māsy uḍupakṣaye /

tathā aṣṭakāsv apy avaśyam icchākālaṃ nibodha me

Translation

ينبغي إقامة الشْرادْها في يوم المحاق (amāvasyā)، وكذلك شهرًا بعد شهر عند ختام كل نصف شهر قمري؛ وكذا في أيام الأَشْتَكا (aṣṭakā) يجب فعلها. وتعلّم مني أيضًا الأوقات التي يجوز فيها أداؤها اختيارًا.

Word by Word

• कार्यम्: to be done; should be performed
• कार्यम्: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण ‘to be done’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; subject with kāryam

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative (time)

• मासि: in a month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative (time)

• मासि: each month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; repetition for distributive sense

• उडु-पक्षये: at the waning of the moon (lunar decline)
• उडु-पक्षये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उडु (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘of the lunar asterism/ moon’); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative (time)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण ‘likewise/also’

• अष्टकासु: on the aṣṭakā days
• अष्टकासु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; locative (time)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘also/even’

• अवश्यम्: certainly; necessarily
• अवश्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चयार्थक क्रियाविशेषण ‘certainly/necessarily’

• इच्छा-कालम्: the desired time (optional time)
• इच्छा-कालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘time of desire/at one’s wish’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; object of ‘know’

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

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

Speakers

• Not specified in provided excerpt

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs
• Candra (implied by lunar timing)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Lunar calendar
• Pitṛ rites
• Nitya observances

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ancestral obligation is integrated into the rhythm of lunar time; the householder’s dharma is periodic and dependable, not merely occasional. The verse maps duty onto recurring cosmic cycles.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Not pancalakṣaṇa proper; it is ritual-ācāra. However, its reliance on lunar cycles resonates with Purāṇic cosmological sensibilities (kāla as a governing principle).

What is the esoteric significance?

New moon and fortnight-end symbolize ‘dissolution/return’ (laya) phases; offering to Pitṛs at these thresholds reflects feeding the subtle ancestors when the visible light wanes—an inward-turning sacramental moment.