Shloka 55
Pitṛ-Stuti, Tarpaṇa, and the Ritual Power of Recitation in Śrāddha
प्रजापतेः कश्यपाय सोमाय वरुणाय च / योगेश्वरेभ्यश्च सदा नमस्यामि कृताञ्जलिः
prajāpateḥ kaśyapāya somāya varuṇāya ca / yogeśvarebhyaśca sadā namasyāmi kṛtāñjaliḥ
With hands folded in reverence, I ever bow to Prajāpati, to Kaśyapa, to Soma, to Varuṇa, and also to the great Yogīśvaras, the Lords of Yoga.
Garuda (Vinata-putra), offering invocatory salutations within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue frame
Concept: Bhakti expressed as continual namaskāra to progenitors, cosmic deities, and yogic lords—honoring both creation and inner realization.
Vedantic Theme: Saguna-devatā upāsanā as a means to steadiness (ekāgratā) and purification; the many as expressions of one governing reality.
Application: Maintain a daily practice of respectful remembrance (smaraṇa/namaskāra) to teachers, elders, and the divine principles of order, waters, and mind.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: deity-sphere (celestial)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.89.54-58 (salutation litany; Pitṛ and Agni-Soma culmination)
FAQs
This verse functions as a reverential invocation—honoring progenitors and cosmic regulators—so the teaching that follows is received with humility, ritual purity, and alignment with ṛta (cosmic order).
Indirectly: by grounding the discourse in cosmic order and yogic authority (“yogeśvaras”), it frames later afterlife teachings as part of a dharmic, orderly universe rather than random fate.
Begin study, śrāddha-related reading, or any spiritual practice with respectful salutations and a composed mind (añjali), cultivating humility and steadiness before engaging with teachings on dharma and the afterlife.