Shloka 36
Nāndīmukha-śrāddha (Prosperity Rites), Preta-kriyā, Aśauca, Ekoddiṣṭa, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Framework
पितृमातृसपिण्डैस् तु समानसलिलैस् तथा तत्संघातगतैश् चैव राज्ञा वा धनहारिणा
pitṛmātṛsapiṇḍais tu samānasalilais tathā tatsaṃghātagataiś caiva rājñā vā dhanahāriṇā
But the claim (to the wealth) should be pursued through the paternal and maternal sapinda-kindred, through those who share the same libation-waters (the same ancestral line), and likewise through those belonging to that collective body; or else it should be recovered through the king—or from the thief who has carried off the wealth.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Who may pursue claims/rights connected to the deceased: sapindas, samānasalilas, community body, or the king; and recovery from a thief
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: juridical
Concept: Rights and responsibilities tied to the deceased are to be pursued through paternal/maternal sapindas and samānasalilas, or through the collective body, and ultimately through royal authority—recovering even from a thief.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Maintain clear family/community responsibility structures, and rely on lawful civic mechanisms to protect the vulnerable and restore misappropriated goods.
Vishishtadvaita: Rājadharma functions as Bhagavān’s delegated governance, preserving dharma in society where individual capacity is absent.
FAQs
This verse uses sapinda and shared-libation (samānasalila) ties to define who bears responsibility in matters like recovery and restitution—showing how dharma operates through graded circles of kinship.
Parāśara presents the king as a legitimate final authority for recovery of wealth when kin-based mechanisms fail, reflecting the state’s duty to uphold order and protect subjects.
Even in legal and social rules, the Purāṇa frames stability, justice, and rightful sovereignty as aspects of Vishnu’s sustaining function—dharma becomes a practical expression of the cosmic preserver.