Shloka 20
Nāndīmukha-śrāddha (Prosperity Rites), Preta-kriyā, Aśauca, Ekoddiṣṭa, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Framework
अयुजो भोजयेत् कामं द्विजान् आद्ये ततो दिने दद्याद् दर्भेषु पिण्डं च प्रेतायोच्छिष्टसंनिधौ
ayujo bhojayet kāmaṃ dvijān ādye tato dine dadyād darbheṣu piṇḍaṃ ca pretāyocchiṣṭasaṃnidhau
On the very first day, as one is able and with devotional intent, one should feed the twice-born (Brahmins). Then, on the following day, one should place a piṇḍa upon sacred darbha grass for the preta, keeping it near the remnants of the offering (ucchiṣṭa), so that the rite may reach the departed.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Śrāddha preliminaries: feeding dvijas and offering piṇḍa on darbha for the preta with proper proximity to remnants (ucchiṣṭa)
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Ritual service—feeding the worthy and offering piṇḍa to the departed—channels responsibility and compassion into ordered action for the unseen welfare of the preta.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Transform grief into constructive service: charity/feeding, remembrance rites, and disciplined acts done with sincerity rather than display.
Vishishtadvaita: Service (kainkarya) expressed through śrāddha aligns the householder’s karma with devotion to Nārāyaṇa, who receives and regulates offerings through dharma.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse frames piṇḍa on darbha as a directed, ritually stabilized offering meant to reach the preta, using sacred grass as the proper support for transmission of the rite.
Parāśara presents an ordered procedure: first, hospitality to dvijas on the initial day, then a dedicated piṇḍa offering for the departed on the following day, emphasizing correct timing and placement.
Within the Vishnu Purana’s dharma framework, such rites uphold cosmic and social order ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereignty—ritual duty becomes a means of aligning household action with the divine order that sustains all beings.