Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 31, Shloka 33
Adhyaya 31 — Naimittika and Related Śrāddha Rites: Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, Eligibility, Timing, and Procedure
रेतोमूत्रकृताहारास्तन् मासं पितरस्तयोः ।
तस्मात्तु प्रथमं कार्यं प्राज्ञेनोपनिमन्त्रणम् ॥
retomūtrakṛtāhārāstanmāsaṃ pitarastayoḥ | tasmāttu prathamaṃ kāryaṃ prājñenopanimantraṇam ||
For that month, the ancestors (pitṛs) of those two subsist on semen, urine, and excrement as their food. Therefore, the wise should first of all perform the preliminary invitation (of the proper guests).
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FAQs
The rite is portrayed as fragile: negligence and sensuality degrade its fruit. The practical counsel—begin with proper invitation—grounds the rite in disciplined preparation and ethical seriousness.
Ācāra/dharma instruction; it provides ritual protocol and deterrent consequences.
The shocking ‘food’ description functions as a negative visualization: it trains aversion to actions that would invert the intended ‘nourishment’ of the pitṛs through offerings.