Shloka 2

The Greatness of Offering Piṇḍas at Viṣṇvādipada (Viṣṇupada) — Gayā Śrāddha Procedure and Fruits

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा तु ब्रह्मसरसि श्राद्धं कुर्यात्सपिंडकम् । स्नानं करोमि तीर्थेऽस्मिन्नृणत्रयविमुक्तये ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

snātvā tu brahmasarasi śrāddhaṃ kuryātsapiṃḍakam | snānaṃ karomi tīrthe'sminnṛṇatrayavimuktaye || 2 ||

Translation

Nachdem man im Brahma-See (Brahma-saras) gebadet hat, soll man das śrāddha mit Gaben an die sapinda, die Verwandten derselben Linie, vollziehen. Mit den Worten: „Ich bade an diesem tīrtha, um von den dreifachen Schulden frei zu werden“, soll man das Bad an diesem heiligen Ort ausführen.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having bathed’

• तु: indeed, then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (particle)

• ब्रह्म-सरसि: in the Brahma lake
• ब्रह्म-सरसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘in Brahma-lake’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should do’

• स-पिण्डकम्: with piṇḍa-offerings
• स-पिण्डकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत् ‘with’) + पिण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव ‘with piṇḍa (offerings)’; qualifies श्राद्धम्

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• करोमि: I perform
• करोमि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘I do’

• तीर्थे: in the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; demonstrative ‘in this’ (qualifies tīrthe)

• ऋण-त्रय-विमुक्तये: for release from the three debts
• ऋण-त्रय-विमुक्तये: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘for liberation from the three debts’

Speaker

Narada (teaching tīrtha-māhātmya and ritual procedure)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Pitrs

FAQs

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

It links tīrtha-snāna with pitṛ-kārya: bathing at Brahma-sarasa and performing sapiṇḍa-śrāddha is presented as a means to cleanse obligations and gain release from ṛṇa-traya (debts to gods, sages, and ancestors).

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

While not explicitly naming Vishnu-bhakti, it frames devotion as dharmic service—honoring pitṛs and approaching a tīrtha with a liberating sankalpa—showing that reverent ritual action can support inner purification that complements bhakti.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure (kalpa) is emphasized: performing śrāddha with piṇḍa to sapindas and using a clear sankalpa for ṛṇa-traya-vimukti—core applied knowledge for ancestral rites within smārta-vaidika practice.