Shloka 38

Matsya Purana — Śrāddha Procedure: Types

Devanagari script

निनयेदथ दर्भेषु नामगोत्रानुकीर्तनैः तेषु दर्भेषु तं हस्तं विमृज्याल्लेपभागिनाम् //

Transliteration

ninayedatha darbheṣu nāmagotrānukīrtanaiḥ teṣu darbheṣu taṃ hastaṃ vimṛjyāllepabhāginām //

Translation

Then, while reciting the names and the gotras (lineages), he should place his hand upon the darbha grass; and upon those darbhas he should wipe his hand—the hand that has come into contact with the remnants or coating of the offering.

Word by Word

• ninayet: he should place/lead (i.e., apply/put)

• atha: then

• darbheṣu: on/among darbha grass

• nāma: name

• gotra: lineage/clan

• anukīrtanaiḥ: by recitation/invocation

• teṣu: on those

• darbheṣu: darbhas

• tam: that

• hastam: hand

• vimṛjyāt: he should wipe/clean

• lepabhāginām: of that which has a coating/remnant (i.e., having received the smear/residue of the offering).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the prescribed ritual procedure within Matsya Purana’s instruction)

Entities Mentioned

• Darbha (kuśa grass)
• Nāma
• Gotra

Tags

• Shraddha
• Pitri-rites
• Ritual purification
• Darbha
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on ritual cleanliness and correct handling of offerings during ancestral/ritual procedures.

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

It supports the householder’s dharma: performing rites with proper recitation of name and gotra and maintaining purity by cleansing the hand using darbha after contact with offering remnants.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, darbha is used as a purificatory medium: after invoking names and gotras, the practitioner wipes the hand on darbha to remove the offering’s residue and maintain procedural purity.