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

Das śrāddha soll am Neumondtag (amāvasyā) vollzogen werden und, Monat um Monat, am Ende jeder Mondhälfte; ebenso muss es an den aṣṭakā-Tagen getan werden. Lerne auch von mir die Zeiten, zu denen man es nach freier Wahl vollziehen darf.

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.