Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21
Śrāddha-prayoga: Niyama, Brāhmaṇa-parīkṣā, Kutapa-kāla, Tithi-nyāya, and Vaiṣṇava-phala
ततः प्रातः समुत्थाय प्रातः कृत्यं समाप्य च । श्राद्धं समाचरेद्विद्वान्काले कुतपसंज्ञिते ॥ २१ ॥
tataḥ prātaḥ samutthāya prātaḥ kṛtyaṃ samāpya ca | śrāddhaṃ samācaredvidvānkāle kutapasaṃjñite || 21 ||
Then, rising early in the morning and completing the prescribed morning duties, the learned person should perform the śrāddha rite at the time known as Kutapa.
Narada (teaching within the Narada Purana’s ritual-dharma context; commonly framed in dialogue with Sanatkumara tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It stresses that Śrāddha should be done with discipline and correct timing—after completing morning nitya-karmas—so the offering to the Pitṛs is ritually pure and spiritually effective.
By treating ancestral rites as a sacred duty done with order and reverence, the verse supports bhakti as faithful observance of dharma—serving God’s cosmic order through prescribed acts.
Kāla-nirṇaya (time-determination) central to Jyotiṣa Vedāṅga is implied: the rite is to be performed specifically during the Kutapa period, showing the importance of choosing the proper muhūrta for rituals.