Shloka 83

Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय

Devanagari script

सप्तवर्षात् ततश्चार्वाक् त्रिरात्रं हि ततः परम् दशाहं ब्राह्मणानां वै प्रथमे ऽहनि वा पितुः

Transliteration

saptavarṣāt tataścārvāk trirātraṃ hi tataḥ param daśāhaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ vai prathame 'hani vā pituḥ

Translation

After seven years of age, one should observe it for three nights; thereafter, the ten-day observance is to be performed—indeed by Brahmins—either beginning on the first day, or undertaken in honor of the father. Thus the śrāddha is regulated according to dharma, so that the paśu (embodied soul) may uphold the departed under the lordship of Pati (Śiva).

Word by Word

• सप्तवर्षात्: after seven years

• ततः: then/thereafter

• च: and

• आर्वाक्: thereafter/next (in sequence)

• त्रिरात्रम्: three nights

• हि: indeed

• ततः परम्: after that

• दशाहम्: ten days (ten-day observance)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of/for Brahmins

• वै: certainly

• प्रथमे अहनि: on the first day

• वा: or

• पितुः: of the father

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating śrāddha-vidhi within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmins
• Pitṛ (father/ancestors)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames ancestral śrāddha as a Shaiva dharmic duty: by correctly timing the rites, a devotee aligns household obligations with Shiva-dharma, supporting lineage and spiritual order while remaining oriented to Pati (Śiva).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Implicitly, it presents Shiva-tattva as the governing lordship (Pati) under which dharma and karmic transitions operate—ritual order is meaningful because the cosmos is upheld by a supreme regulator.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Śrāddha-kāla-nirṇaya: observing a three-night rite after seven years and a ten-day (daśāha) observance—especially prescribed for Brahmins—beginning on the first day for the father.