Shloka 24

Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct

Devanagari script

दक्षिणामुखयुक्तानि पितॄणामासनानि च / दक्षिणाग्रैकदर्भाणि प्रोक्षितानि तिलोदकैः

Transliteration

dakṣiṇāmukhayuktāni pitṝṇāmāsanāni ca / dakṣiṇāgraikadarbhāṇi prokṣitāni tilodakaiḥ

Translation

He should arrange the seats for the Pitṛs—the Ancestors—facing south, place single blades of kuśa grass with their tips turned southward, and then sprinkle them with water mixed with sesame.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणा-मुख-युक्तानि: oriented southward
• दक्षिणा-मुख-युक्तानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from युज्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणामुखेन युक्तानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (आसनानि)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आसनानि: seats
• आसनानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• दक्षिणा-अग्र-एक-दर्भाणि: having a single darbha with its tip to the south
• दक्षिणा-अग्र-एक-दर्भाणि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणाग्रः एकः दर्भः येषां/येषु); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (आसनानि)

• प्रोक्षितानि: sprinkled
• प्रोक्षितानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+उक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'sprinkled' (qualifying आसनानि)

• तिल-उदकैः: with sesame-water
• तिल-उदकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तिलयुक्तम् उदकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Traditional Purāṇic narrator (instructional voice within the Kurma Purana’s dharma section)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Darbha (Kuśa grass)
• Tila (sesame)
• Dakṣiṇā (south direction)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

This verse is primarily procedural (śrāddha setup) rather than metaphysical; it supports dharma by prescribing disciplined ritual order, which the Purana elsewhere treats as a means for inner purification conducive to knowledge of the Self.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No direct yoga technique is taught here; the emphasis is on ritual purity and correct orientation (dik-niyama) in Pitṛ rites, which functions as a preparatory discipline (niyama-like restraint) within the broader Kurma Purana framework that also includes Pashupata-oriented spiritual practice.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

The verse itself does not mention Shiva–Vishnu unity; it reflects the shared dharma-ritual culture accepted across Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions in the Kurma Purana, where correct ancestral rites are upheld alongside later synthetic theology.