Shloka 253

Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline

Devanagari script

पिण्डदास्तस्य हीयन्ते न च प्रीणाति वै पितृन्‌ । धर्मने कहा--ब्राह्मण यदि राजाका कर्मचारी हो

Transliteration

piṇḍadās tasya hīyante na ca prīṇāti vai pitṝn |

Translation

Dharma sprach: Das Verdienst dessen, der die rituellen Toten-Reisbällchen (piṇḍa) ungeeigneten Empfängern darbringt, schwindet, und die Ahnen werden nicht wahrhaft zufrieden. Die ethische Lehre lautet: Opfergaben für die Götter (yajña) und für die Vorfahren (śrāddha) müssen mit Unterscheidungsvermögen gegeben werden; unangebrachtes Geben schadet dem geistigen Wohl des Gebers und verfehlt den Zweck des Ritus.

Word by Word

• पिण्डदाः: givers of piṇḍa (funeral offerings)
• पिण्डदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डद (पिण्ड + द)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• हीयन्ते: decline / are diminished
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (हायते/हीयते)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada, Passive/Ātmanepada usage

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रीणाति: pleases / satisfies
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (प्रीणाति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

धर्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Piṇḍa (funerary offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Offerings for śrāddha must be made with proper discernment; giving piṇḍa inappropriately leads to the giver’s loss of merit and does not bring satisfaction to the ancestors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dharma is instructing about the consequences of improper ritual giving, stating that when piṇḍa is offered wrongly, the performer’s spiritual benefit declines and the pitṛs are not pleased.