Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

माघासिते पञ्चदशी कदाचिद् उपैति योगं यदि वारुणेन ऋक्षेण कालः स परः पितॄणां न ह्य् अल्पपुण्यैर् नृप लभ्यते ऽसौ

Transliteration

māghāsite pañcadaśī kadācid upaiti yogaṃ yadi vāruṇena ṛkṣeṇa kālaḥ sa paraḥ pitṝṇāṃ na hy alpapuṇyair nṛpa labhyate 'sau

Translation

O King, if at any time the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight in Māgha comes into conjunction with the lunar mansion of Varuṇa, that moment is declared the supreme season for the Pitṛs. Such an exalted time is not attained by those of little merit.

Word by Word

• माघासिते: in the dark fortnight of Māgha
• माघासिते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ-आसित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; माघस्य आसिते (माघमासे कृष्णपक्षे) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• पञ्चदशी: the fifteenth lunar day
• पञ्चदशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चदश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• कदाचित्: at some time/occasionally
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• उपैति: attains/comes to
• उपैति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• योगम्: a conjunction/auspicious alignment
• योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वारुणेन: with (the) Varuṇa-related
• वारुणेन: Karana-viśeṣaṇa (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ऋक्षेण’ इति विशेषणम् (Varuṇa-related)

• ऋक्षेण: by/with the lunar mansion (nakṣatra)
• ऋक्षेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नक्षत्रवाचक

• कालः: time/occasion
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परः: supreme/excellent
• परः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कालः/सः’ इति विशेषणम्

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अल्पपुण्यैः: by those of little merit
• अल्पपुण्यैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्प-पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अल्पं पुण्यं येषां तैः (कर्मधारयः)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• असौ: that (time/occasion)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in dialogue with Maitreya; addressing a king in the cited line)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Auspicious calendrical conjunctions (tithi-nakṣatra-yoga) for Pitṛ offerings

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Certain rare tithi–nakṣatra conjunctions constitute a supreme ‘season’ for Pitṛs, and access to such sacred time is itself the fruit of accumulated merit.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Plan key rites (tarpaṇa, śrāddha, charity) on traditionally auspicious lunar days and cultivate steady merit through daily dharma rather than last-minute ritualism.

Vishishtadvaita: Time (kāla) is part of Bhagavān’s cosmic governance; aligning action with sacred time expresses harmony with the divinely ordered universe.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Pitrs (ancestors)
• Varuna

FAQs

What is the significance of Māgha kṛṣṇa pañcadaśī with Varuṇa-nakṣatra in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse calls it the “supreme time” for the Pitṛs—an exceptionally auspicious alignment for performing Śrāddha and ancestral offerings.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the rarity of certain sacred times?

He frames it through karma: such a rare and powerful ritual moment is not “obtained” by those with little puṇya, implying merit ripens into access to higher dharmic opportunities.

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

Even when discussing ritual calendars, the Vishnu Purana places dharma within a divinely ordered cosmos sustained by the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—so correct rites and times participate in that universal sovereignty and order.