Shloka 29

The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya

Devanagari script

सर्वस्थानेषु चैवं स्यात्पिंडदानं तु मोहिनि । गयायां पिंडदाने तु न च कालं विचिंतयेत् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

sarvasthāneṣu caivaṃ syātpiṃḍadānaṃ tu mohini | gayāyāṃ piṃḍadāne tu na ca kālaṃ viciṃtayet || 29 ||

Translation

هكذا يا موهِني، ينبغي أن تُؤدّى تقدمة البيṇḍa على هذا النحو في جميع المواضع المقدّسة؛ أمّا عند تقديم البيṇḍa في غايا، فلا ينبغي التفكّر مطلقًا في ملاءمة الوقت.

Word by Word

• सर्वस्थानेषु: in all places
• सर्वस्थानेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (locative/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वेषां स्थानानाम्’ → ‘सर्वस्थान’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एवं: thus
• एवं: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीतिवाचक (adverb: ‘thus/in this manner’)

• स्यात्: should be / would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पिण्डदानम्: the offering of rice-balls (piṇḍa-offering)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative/कर्ता-पद), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• मोहिनि: O Mohinī (address)
• मोहिनि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पिण्डदाने: in the piṇḍa-offering (rite)
• पिण्डदाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• विचिन्तयेत्: should consider/deliberate
• विचिन्तयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः वि-

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Gaya
• Mohini
• Pinda-dana
• Pitrs

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It elevates Gayā as a uniquely potent tīrtha for ancestral rites, teaching that piṇḍa-dāna there carries such efficacy that one need not be anxious about selecting an auspicious time.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By emphasizing trust in the sanctity of a divinely praised tīrtha and the sincerity of the act, it supports a bhakti-oriented attitude: perform the rite with faith rather than excessive worry over external calculations.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It implicitly relaxes reliance on Jyotiṣa-style time-selection (muhūrta/auspicious timing) for this specific rite at Gayā, indicating that the kṣetra’s merit overrides ordinary calendrical considerations.