Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

तत्राप्य् असामर्थ्ययुतः कराग्राग्रस्थितांस् तिलान् प्रणम्य द्विजमुख्याय कस्मैचिद् भूप दास्यति

Transliteration

tatrāpy asāmarthyayutaḥ karāgrāgrasthitāṃs tilān praṇamya dvijamukhyāya kasmaicid bhūpa dāsyati

Translation

Even there, a king who is burdened by incapacity—having bowed in reverence—will offer to some foremost brāhmaṇa merely a few sesame seeds resting on the very tips of his fingers.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there/then
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there/in that case)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय निपात (also/even)

• असामर्थ्य-युतः: being incapable
• असामर्थ्य-युतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (endowed with inability)

• कर-अग्र-अग्र-स्थितान्: placed on the fingertips
• कर-अग्र-अग्र-स्थितान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (placed on the tips of the fingers)

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having bowed

• द्विज-मुख्याय: to a chief Brahmin
• द्विज-मुख्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Dative singular)

• कस्मैचित्: to someone (unspecified)
• कस्मैचित्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (to someone or other)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (address)

• दास्यति: will give
• दास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (he will give)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Even minimal offerings (tilas) become valid when offered with reverence; humility overrides status

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even a ruler, if constrained, may offer only a few sesame seeds with reverent bowing—showing that devotion and humility, not magnitude, ground the merit of dāna.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice ‘micro-giving’ with reverence—small, consistent offerings or acts of service—especially when resources are limited.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord, as the inner recipient of all rightful offerings, values bhāva (devotional intent) and makes small offerings spiritually complete.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• King (Bhūpa)
• Brāhmaṇa (Dvijamukhya)

FAQs

What is the significance of offering sesame (tila) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Tila symbolizes purificatory merit; the verse highlights that even a minimal offering can be dharmic when made with reverence and right intent.

How does Sage Parāśara explain charity when one lacks resources?

He implies that giving should be according to one’s capacity—if a king is unable, even a token gift (like a few sesame seeds) offered respectfully still aligns with dharma.

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

By upholding dharma through sincere action rather than display, the verse reflects the Vaishnava principle that the Supreme (Vishnu) values inner disposition and righteous order sustaining the world.