Shloka 10

Śrāddha’s Cosmic Reach and Kāla-Nirṇaya (Sacred Timings): Amāvāsyā, Nakṣatra-Yoga, Tīrtha, and Minimum Offerings

Devanagari script

नवस्व् ऋक्षेष्व् अमावास्या यदैतेष्व् अवनीपते तदा तृप्तिप्रदं श्राद्धं पितॄणां शृणु चापरम्

Transliteration

navasv ṛkṣeṣv amāvāsyā yadaiteṣv avanīpate tadā tṛptipradaṃ śrāddhaṃ pitṝṇāṃ śṛṇu cāparam

Translation

O king, when the new-moon day coincides with these nine lunar mansions, the śrāddha then performed becomes a special bestower of satisfaction to the Pitṛs. Hear from me further as well.

Word by Word

• नवसु: in nine
• नवसु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऋक्षेषु: in the asterisms (nakṣatras)
• ऋक्षेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अमावास्या: new-moon day
• अमावास्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'when')

• एतेषु: in these
• एतेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अवनीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• अवनीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनीपतिः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अवनी + पति)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'then')

• तृप्तिप्रदम्: satisfaction-giving
• तृप्तिप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तृप्तेः प्रदम् = giving satisfaction)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पितॄणाम्: for/of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Beneficiary relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• अपरम्: another (account/thing)
• अपरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreyā; addressing a kingly addressee within the teaching style)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Auspicious timings and fruits of śrāddha for pitṛ-tṛpti

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha gains special efficacy when performed on enumerated amāvāsyā-nakṣatra conjunctions; dharma is precise, learnable, and transmissible through śāstra.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Learn one’s tradition carefully (from competent teachers/texts) and practice consistently rather than sporadically.

Vishishtadvaita: Śāstra as a means of grace: disciplined action (karma) becomes a form of devotion when offered within Bhagavān’s ordained framework.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Amāvāsyā (New Moon)
• Nakṣatras (Lunar Mansions)

FAQs

What is the significance of Amāvāsyā with specific nakṣatras in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse states that when Amāvāsyā coincides with certain nine nakṣatras, śrāddha performed then becomes especially satisfying (tṛptiprada) for the Pitṛs.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the right timing for Śrāddha?

Parāśara frames śrāddha as a dharmic act whose efficacy depends on sacred time—here, the alignment of tithi (Amāvāsyā) with particular nakṣatras—then proceeds to give further rules and details.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named directly, the Purana presents dharma and cosmic timing as part of the ordered universe sustained by the Supreme Reality (Vishnu); correct rites harmonize human duty with that divine order.