Shloka 45
Kāṣṭhīla-Upākhyāna: Rākṣasī, Spear-Śakti, and Kāśī as Śakti-kṣetra
स कथं मृतकादाता दुष्करं समुपासते । यो विधिः कर्मसाक्ष्यादिवन्द्यो मान्यः पितामहः ॥ ४५ ॥
sa kathaṃ mṛtakādātā duṣkaraṃ samupāsate | yo vidhiḥ karmasākṣyādivandyo mānyaḥ pitāmahaḥ || 45 ||
How, then, can one who gives charity on behalf of the dead properly undertake such a difficult observance—when that very prescribed rite is revered by the witnesses of actions and the rest, and is honored by Pitāmaha (Brahmā) himself?
Narada (within a Narada–Sanatkumara style dialogue frame; verse reads as a rhetorical question in the instructional flow)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)
Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
FAQs
It emphasizes the sanctity and authority of prescribed ritual law (vidhi): rites connected with the departed are portrayed as weighty and difficult, yet validated by cosmic moral oversight (karmasākṣin) and honored even by Brahmā.
Indirectly, it frames ritual duty as an act of reverence to divine order: performing sanctioned rites with faith and humility supports a devotional mindset aligned with dharma, even when the practice is challenging.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is foregrounded through the term vidhi—stressing correct injunction-based performance, especially in rites involving dana and post-death observances.