Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

काले धनिष्ठा यदि नाम तस्मिन् भवन्ति भूपाल तदा पितृभ्यः दत्तं जलान्नं प्रददाति तृप्तिं वर्षायुतं तत्कुलजैर् मनुष्यैः

Transliteration

kāle dhaniṣṭhā yadi nāma tasmin bhavanti bhūpāla tadā pitṛbhyaḥ dattaṃ jalānnaṃ pradadāti tṛptiṃ varṣāyutaṃ tatkulajair manuṣyaiḥ

Translation

O king, if at that appointed time the lunar mansion Dhaniṣṭhā is prevailing, then the water and food offered to the Pitṛs bestow satisfaction upon them for ten thousand years—so efficacious is that gift for the men born in that lineage.

Word by Word

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धनिष्ठा: (the nakṣatra) Dhaniṣṭhā
• धनिष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नक्षत्रवाचक

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

• नाम: indeed
• नाम: Sambandha/Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थः—‘indeed/just’ (emphasis)

• तस्मिन्: in that (time)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भवन्ति: occur/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• पितृभ्यः: to the ancestors
• पितृभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दत्तम्: given/offered
• दत्तम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘जलान्नम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• जलान्नम्: water and food
• जलान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जलं च अन्नं च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः)

• प्रददाति: bestows/gives
• प्रददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction/contentment
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Result/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वर्षायुतम्: for ten thousand years
• वर्षायुतम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ष-अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्षाणाम् अयुतम् (दशसहस्रसंख्या) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; ‘तृप्तिम्’ इति विशेषणम् (कालपरिमाण)

• तत्कुलजैः: by those born in that lineage
• तत्कुलजैः: Karana (Agent/means in passive-like sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्-कुल-ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तस्य कुलस्य जातैः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• मनुष्यैः: by men/people
• मनुष्यैः: Karana (Agent/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; the verse is framed as addressing a king/householder: 'bhūpāla')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Relative potency of śrāddha when specific nakṣatras (e.g., Dhaniṣṭhā) prevail

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When performed at a specially empowered astral time (Dhaniṣṭhā), even basic gifts of water and food yield extraordinarily long-lasting satisfaction to the Pitṛs.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Combine generosity (anna-dāna, water-giving) with attentiveness to sacred timing and family remembrance, strengthening gratitude across generations.

Vishishtadvaita: The fruit of action is real and graded; scriptural timing and intention operate within Bhagavān’s moral-cosmic administration (niyati) rather than mere symbolism.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Pitrs (Ancestors)
• Dhanishtha Nakshatra
• King (Bhupala)

FAQs

What is the significance of Dhaniṣṭhā Nakṣatra in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse states that when Dhaniṣṭhā prevails at the proper ritual time, offerings made to the ancestors become exceptionally potent, granting them long-lasting satisfaction.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of kāla (proper time) in ancestral rites?

Parāśara emphasizes that timing is not incidental: when rites align with the right calendrical conditions, the same offerings (water and food) yield far greater spiritual results.

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

Even in a verse focused on Śrāddha, the Purana’s larger frame is that dharma operates within Vishnu’s cosmic order; correct ritual timing reflects alignment with the divine governance of time and law.