Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 78
Dharmopadeśa-Śānti: Rules of Impurity, Expiations, and Ancestor Rites
वर्षे तु कुर्वीत मातापित्रोस्तु सत्कृतिम् । अदैवं भोजयेच्छ्राद्धं पिण्डमेकं तु निर्वपेत् ॥ ७८ ॥
varṣe tu kurvīta mātāpitrostu satkṛtim | adaivaṃ bhojayecchrāddhaṃ piṇḍamekaṃ tu nirvapet || 78 ||
Once each year, one should duly honor one’s mother and father; in a śrāddha performed without offerings to the gods, one should feed the invited guests and also place a single piṇḍa (rice-ball offering).
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a dharma-śāstra style exposition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It emphasizes pitṛ-dharma: annually honoring one’s parents/ancestors through a focused śrāddha, reinforcing gratitude, lineage duty, and the continuity of sacred obligations.
Indirectly, it frames devotion as disciplined dharma—serving and honoring parents and performing prescribed rites—seen in Purāṇic teaching as supportive conduct that steadies the mind for higher worship.
Ritual procedure (Kalpa/śrauta-smārta application): the verse specifies an annual śrāddha format (adaiva) and the practical detail of offering a single piṇḍa.