Shloka 81

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

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा संपूज्य मौनार्कमिमं मंत्रमुदीरयेत् । कव्यवाडादयो ये च पितॄणां देवतास्तथा ॥ ८१ ॥

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā saṃpūjya maunārkamimaṃ maṃtramudīrayet | kavyavāḍādayo ye ca pitṝṇāṃ devatāstathā || 81 ||

Translation

Nachdem man Maunārka, die schweigende Sonne, geschaut und gebührend verehrt hat, soll man dieses Mantra sprechen und dabei auch Kavyavāḍa sowie die übrigen Gottheiten anrufen, die über die Pitṛs (Ahnengeister) wachen.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (Kriyā-pūrvakāla/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), धातु: दृश्; ‘having seen’

• सम्पूज्य: having worshipped properly
• सम्पूज्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Kriyā-pūrvakāla/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), धातु: पूज् उपसर्ग: सम्; ‘having duly worshipped’

• मौन-आर्कम्: the silent Sun (Sun worshipped in silence)
• मौन-आर्कम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (मौनः अर्कः/मौनार्कः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सूर्यविशेषण

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; मन्त्रम् इति विशेषण

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• उदीरयेत्: should recite
• उदीरयेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + ईर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘should utter/recite’

• कव्यवाड-आदयः: Kavyavāḍa and others
• कव्यवाड-आदयः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्यवाड + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कव्यवाडः आदिः येषाम्), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

Speaker

Suta

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Maunārka (Sūrya)
• Kavyavāḍa
• Pitṛs

FAQs

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

It frames pitṛ-kārya as a disciplined ritual sequence—darśana (beholding), pūjā (worship), and mantra—showing that ancestral offerings become efficacious when performed under the divine oversight of Sūrya (Maunārka) and the pitṛ-devatās.

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

Bhakti here appears as reverent worship and remembrance: the practitioner approaches Maunārka with honor and then recites the mantra with devotion, treating pitṛ-sevā as a sacred duty performed in the presence of divine powers.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-prayoga (correct application of mantra) and ritual krama (sequence), aligning with Kalpa (ritual procedure) and the importance of precise recitation (linked to Śikṣā/phonetics) in śrāddha and tarpaṇa contexts.