Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha

Devanagari script

सपिण्डीकरणे श्राद्धे देवपूर्वं नियोजयेत् पितॄन् निवासयेत्तत्र पृथक्प्रेतं विनिर्दिशेत् //

Transliteration

sapiṇḍīkaraṇe śrāddhe devapūrvaṃ niyojayet pitṝn nivāsayettatra pṛthakpretaṃ vinirdiśet //

Translation

In the śrāddha performed for sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, one should first assign the offering to the gods, and then seat the Pitṛs there; and one should explicitly indicate the departed (preta) separately.

Word by Word

• sapīṇḍīkaraṇe: in the sapīṇḍīkaraṇa rite (joining the deceased to the ancestral line)

• śrāddhe: in the śrāddha ceremony

• deva-pūrvam: with the gods first / beginning with offerings to the deities

• niyojayet: should appoint/assign/offer (the ritual sequence)

• pitṝn: the ancestors (Pitṛs)

• nivāsayet: should seat/make them sit (invite to the ritual place)

• tatra: there (in that rite/space)

• pṛthak: separately

• pretam: the preta, the recently deceased spirit prior to full ancestral incorporation

• vinirdiśet: should specify/indicate explicitly.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within the didactic discourse of the Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Preta

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Sapīṇḍīkaraṇa
• Pitṛ-yajña
• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Ritual-sequence

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse does not address pralaya; it focuses on post-death ritual order in sapīṇḍīkaraṇa śrāddha—how offerings and invitations are sequenced for devas, Pitṛs, and the preta.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It outlines gṛhastha-dharma (and by extension royal dharma) in maintaining Pitṛ-yajña: performing śrāddha correctly by honoring devas first, then the ancestors, while ritually distinguishing the newly deceased (preta) until incorporation among the Pitṛs.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual-procedural: the verse mandates a specific śrāddha sequence and seating/invocation order—devas first, then Pitṛs—while keeping the preta’s designation separate during sapīṇḍīkaraṇa.