Shloka 4

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

जातस्य जातकर्मादि क्रियाकाण्डम् अशेषतः पुत्रस्य कुर्वीत पिता श्राद्धं चाभ्युदयात्मकम्

Transliteration

jātasya jātakarmādi kriyākāṇḍam aśeṣataḥ putrasya kurvīta pitā śrāddhaṃ cābhyudayātmakam

Translation

When a son is born, the father should perform in due order, without omission, the full course of prescribed rites beginning with the jātakarma; and he should also undertake the auspicious abhyudaya śrāddha for welfare and prosperity.

Word by Word

• जातस्य: of the newborn
• जातस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP of √जन्), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of the born (child)’

• जातकर्मादि: the birth-rite and others
• जातकर्मादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातकर्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समूहवाचक); तत्पुरुषः (जातस्य कर्म = जातकर्म) + आदि (etc.)

• क्रियाकाण्डम्: the section of rites
• क्रियाकाण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया + काण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्रियाणां काण्डम्)

• अशेषतः: entirely
• अशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम्

• पुत्रस्य: of the son
• पुत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुर्वीत: should perform
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पिता: the father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अभ्युदयात्मकम्: of the nature of prosperity (auspicious)
• अभ्युदयात्मकम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्युदय + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अभ्युदयः आत्मा यस्य/अभ्युदय-स्वरूपम्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Practical outline of nitya/naimittika duties, beginning with saṃskāras and auspicious śrāddha

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: prescriptive, compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Life-cycle saṃskāras beginning with jātakarma, and auspicious śrāddha for well-being, are obligatory supports of dharma within household life.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Honor life transitions with mindful rites (or their ethical equivalents) and cultivate gratitude to ancestors through remembrance and charity.

Vishishtadvaita: Gṛhastha-dharma becomes worship when performed as offering to the Lord who sustains lineage and social order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Father (gṛhastha)
• Son (putra)

FAQs

What is the significance of jātakarma and related saṃskāras in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents them as essential, complete duties (aśeṣataḥ) to be performed by the father, establishing the child’s life within dharma and auspicious order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of the father in household dharma here?

Parāśara assigns the father the responsibility to carry out the full kriyākāṇḍa—beginning at birth—showing gṛhastha life as an active guardianship of ritual and social continuity.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when discussing domestic rites, the Vishnu Purana frames dharma as participation in the divinely upheld cosmic order—ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereignty as the sustainer of the world.