Shloka 31
The Greatness of the Month of Māgha
Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna
उष्णं हिममनर्थोऽर्थं पापं कीर्तिं स्मयस्तपः । यथा रसा महारोगाञ्छ्राद्धं संकेत एव च ॥ ३१ ॥
uṣṇaṃ himamanartho'rthaṃ pāpaṃ kīrtiṃ smayastapaḥ | yathā rasā mahārogāñchrāddhaṃ saṃketa eva ca || 31 ||
Heat may turn into cold; misfortune into prosperity; sin into fame; and pride into austerity—just as the bodily humors (rasa) can become great diseases. So too, Śrāddha, the rite for the ancestors, is in essence a sacred “signal,” an appointed token that brings about its intended result.
Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition; Uttara-Bhaga discourse style)
Vrata: Śrāddha (pitṛ-kriyā)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It frames Śrāddha as an effective sacred appointment (saṅketa): even when outcomes seem to ‘transform’ unexpectedly, the properly offered rite serves as the recognized token that delivers benefit to the Pitṛs and supports dharma.
By emphasizing faithful performance of Śrāddha as a dharmic act, it supports bhakti-oriented living where ritual offerings are made with reverence and trust in the unseen divine order that carries results to the ancestors.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implicit: Śrāddha is treated as a formal saṅketa—an authorized ritual marker—indicating that correct rite and intention are key to obtaining the prescribed result.