Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — Śrāddha Procedure: Types

Devanagari script

निमन्त्रितान्हि पितर उपतिष्ठन्ति तान्द्विजान् वायुभूता नु गच्छन्ति तथासीनानुपासते //

Transliteration

nimantritānhi pitara upatiṣṭhanti tāndvijān vāyubhūtā nu gacchanti tathāsīnānupāsate //

Translation

فإذا دُعِيَتِ البِتْرُ (أرواحُ الأسلاف) دعوةً على الوجهِ المشروع حضرتْ لدى أولئك البراهمة؛ متخذةً هيئةً كالرّيح تتبعهم، فإذا جلس البراهمة أقامتْ قريبًا منهم، مُوقِّرةً خادمةً.

Word by Word

• nimantritān: (when) invited/summoned

• hi: indeed

• pitaraḥ: the ancestors (Pitṛs)

• upatiṣṭhanti: stand near/attend upon

• tān: those

• dvijān: twice-born (brāhmaṇa guests)

• vāyu-bhūtāḥ: having become like wind/subtle as air

• anu gacchanti: follow after

• tathā: thus/then

• āsīnān: (when they are) seated

• upāsate: they attend upon/remain devotedly near

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within Śrāddha-dharma discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa guests)

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs
• Ritual Dharma
• Hospitality
• Ancestral rites

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

It does not discuss Pralaya directly; it teaches that Pitṛs can assume a subtle, wind-like mode of presence to attend Śrāddha rites, emphasizing the unseen efficacy of ritual action.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It supports the householder’s duty to perform Śrāddha properly—inviting worthy brāhmaṇas and honoring them—because the Pitṛs are said to accompany and attend those guests, linking hospitality with ancestral welfare.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: invited brāhmaṇas function as the focal point of the rite, with Pitṛs present in subtle form; therefore correct invitation, seating, and respectful attendance to the guests are treated as essential components of Śrāddha procedure.