Shloka 16

Pātra-Nirṇaya and Ritual Procedure: Who to Feed, Who to Avoid, and Step-by-Step Śrāddha Performance

Devanagari script

तथा मातामहश्राद्धं वैश्वदेवसमन्वितम् कुर्वीत भक्तिसंपन्नस् तन्त्रं वा वैश्वदेविकम्

Transliteration

tathā mātāmahaśrāddhaṃ vaiśvadevasamanvitam kurvīta bhaktisaṃpannas tantraṃ vā vaiśvadevikam

Translation

In the same manner, he should perform the śrāddha for the maternal grandfather, duly accompanied by the Vaiśvadeva offerings; and, endowed with devotion, he may also carry out the Vaiśvadevīka rite according to proper procedure.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: likewise/so)

• मातामहश्राद्धम्: the śrāddha for the maternal grandfather
• मातामहश्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातामह (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातामहस्य श्राद्धम्)

• वैश्वदेवसमन्वितम्: accompanied by the Vaiśvadeva rite
• वैश्वदेवसमन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैश्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (वैश्वदेवेन/वैश्वदेवस्य समन्वितम् = accompanied with Vaiśvadeva); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्

• कुर्वीत: should perform
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भक्तिसंपन्नः: endowed with devotion
• भक्तिसंपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (भक्त्या संपन्नः = endowed with devotion); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• तन्त्रम्: procedure/ritual manual
• तन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (or)

• वैश्वदेविकम्: pertaining to Vaiśvadeva
• वैश्वदेविकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैश्वदेविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (relating to Vaiśvadeva)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha, when joined with Vaiśvadeva and performed with bhakti, becomes a holistic act that honors cosmic powers and ancestors within dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Integrate devotion into obligatory duties—add remembrance/prayer and a sattvic intention so routine rites become spiritually transformative.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti sanctifies karma: duties are offered as worship to Nārāyaṇa, the inner ruler who receives all offerings through His dependent deities.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Vaiśvadeva deities

FAQs

What is the significance of performing mātāmaha-śrāddha in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse extends ancestral obligation beyond the paternal line, affirming that honoring the maternal grandfather is also part of dharma and sustains the continuity of family and ancestral welfare.

How does Sage Parāśara connect śrāddha with Vaiśvadeva offerings?

He instructs that the maternal-grandfather śrāddha should be performed together with Vaiśvadeva, linking ancestor-offerings with the broader daily offerings to universal deities that uphold social and cosmic order.

What is the theological importance of devotion (bhakti) in this context?

By emphasizing bhakti as the performer’s inner state, the verse frames ritual not as mere formality but as an act aligned with sacred intention—consistent with the Purāṇa’s Vaiṣṇava view that devotion is central to righteous action.