Shloka 5
पितृसर्ग-श्राद्धमाहात्म्य-प्रश्नः
Pitṛ-sarga and the Greatness of Śrāddha: The Inquiry
श्राद्धस्यापि च माहात्म्यं तत्फलं च वद प्रभो । प्रीताश्च पितरो येन श्रेयसा योजयंति तम्
śrāddhasyāpi ca māhātmyaṃ tatphalaṃ ca vada prabho | prītāśca pitaro yena śreyasā yojayaṃti tam
O Lord, please speak of the greatness of the Śrāddha rite and the fruit it bestows—by which the Pitṛs, the satisfied ancestors, rejoice and unite that person with the highest good (śreyas).
A devotee/inquirer addressing Lord Shiva (within the Umāsaṃhitā dialogue context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Role: liberating
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse frames Śrāddha as a dharmic act whose deeper purpose is śreyas—spiritual uplift—because the Pitṛs, when satisfied, bestow auspicious support that helps the practitioner move toward higher good in alignment with Shiva’s order (dharma).
In the Shiva Purana’s Shaiva ethos, household rites like Śrāddha are not separate from Saguna Shiva worship; they are performed as offerings within Shiva’s cosmic law, harmonizing devotion (bhakti) and duty (karma) so the devotee’s path toward Shiva’s grace remains unobstructed.
The verse points to performing Śrāddha with faith and correctness—offering to the Pitṛs and dedicating the merit to auspicious welfare (śreyas); as a Shaiva takeaway, one may accompany the rite with Shiva-smaraṇa (remembrance) and simple japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as an inner offering.