Shloka 58
पितृसर्ग-श्राद्धमाहात्म्य-प्रश्नः
Pitṛ-sarga and the Greatness of Śrāddha: The Inquiry
सर्वत्र वर्तमानास्ते पितरः प्रपितामहाः । भावयिष्यंति सततं श्राद्धदानेन तर्पिताः
sarvatra vartamānāste pitaraḥ prapitāmahāḥ | bhāvayiṣyaṃti satataṃ śrāddhadānena tarpitāḥ
Those Pitṛs—one’s fathers and forefathers—abide everywhere; and when satisfied through offerings given in śrāddha, they continually bestow support, nourishment, and blessing upon the family line.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Role: nurturing
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse teaches that honoring the Pitṛs through śrāddha and dāna is a dharmic support-system for the lineage: when ancestors are content, they “bhāvayanti”—they nurture the family’s well-being and stability, aiding the householder’s righteous path toward Shiva’s grace.
In the Shiva Purana’s devotional framework, household rites like śrāddha complement Saguna Shiva worship: by fulfilling duties toward ancestors, one purifies conduct and intention, making one’s Shiva-puja (including Linga worship) steadier and more sattvic, fit for receiving Shiva’s anugraha (grace).
It points to śrāddha-dāna and tarpaṇa (satisfying offerings) as the practical discipline—performed with faith, purity, and charity—so that the Pitṛs are propitiated and the practitioner’s dharma is strengthened.