Shloka 37
The Greatness of Offering Piṇḍas at Viṣṇvādipada (Viṣṇupada) — Gayā Śrāddha Procedure and Fruits
कृतकृत्यं निजात्मानं मेने प्रत्यक्षभाषणात् । भीष्मो विष्णुपदे श्राद्ध आहूय तु पितॄन्स्वकान् ॥ ३७ ॥
kṛtakṛtyaṃ nijātmānaṃ mene pratyakṣabhāṣaṇāt | bhīṣmo viṣṇupade śrāddha āhūya tu pitṝnsvakān || 37 ||
Having spoken directly on that sacred occasion, Bhīṣma deemed himself to have fulfilled his purpose. Then, at Viṣṇupada, he performed the śrāddha, duly invoking his own pitṛs, the ancestors.
Suta (narrator) [contextual narration within Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya style]
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It presents Viṣṇupada as a powerful tīrtha where direct sacred utterance and śrāddha for one’s pitṛs are considered spiritually fulfilling, emphasizing completion of dharma through ancestral honoring in a Viṣṇu-sanctified place.
By placing śrāddha within Viṣṇupada, the verse frames ancestral rites as harmonized with Viṣṇu-bhakti—devotion is expressed not only by praise but also by dharmic acts performed at a Viṣṇu-tīrtha.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implicit: invoking the pitṛs and performing śrāddha at an appropriate tīrtha reflects applied smārta-ritual discipline rather than grammar or astrology.