Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

वैवस्वताय चैवान्या तृतीया दीयते ततः हुतावशिष्टम् अल्पाल्पं विप्रपात्रेषु निर्वपेत्

Transliteration

vaivasvatāya caivānyā tṛtīyā dīyate tataḥ hutāvaśiṣṭam alpālpaṃ viprapātreṣu nirvapet

Translation

Then a third portion should be offered to Vaivasvata (Yama). Thereafter, whatever remains after the oblations should be apportioned little by little and placed into the vessels of the Brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• वैवस्वताय: to Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अवधारणार्थक = 'indeed/only'

• अन्या: another
• अन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तृतीया: the third
• तृतीया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अनन्तरार्थे = 'then/thereafter'

• हुतावशिष्टम्: what remains after the offering
• हुतावशिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हुत-अवशिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक); हुत (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय, √हु) + अवशिष्ट (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय, √शिष्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• अल्पाल्पम्: little by little
• अल्पाल्पम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अल्प-अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (reduplicated adverbial usage) = 'little by little'

• विप्रपात्रेषु: in the vessels of brahmins
• विप्रपात्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• निर्वपेत्: should place/serve/distribute
• निर्वपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्+वप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Completion of śrāddha oblations: third offering to Vaivasvata (Yama) and distribution of remnants to Brāhmaṇas

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: procedural and authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha concludes with an offering to Vaivasvata (Yama) and the careful distribution of the remaining sanctified food to Brāhmaṇas, integrating rite with honoring recipients.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Complete spiritual acts with proper closure: dedicate results, then share resources thoughtfully with those who sustain learning and virtue.

Vishishtadvaita: The rite links cosmic governance (Yama as Vaivasvata) with social dharma (support of Brāhmaṇas), illustrating Vishishtadvaita’s integration of cosmic order and embodied ethical life.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvata (Yama)
• Brāhmaṇas (Vipras)

FAQs

What is the significance of offering a portion to Vaivasvata (Yama) in the Vishnu Purana?

It acknowledges Yama as the dharmic regulator connected to the fate of beings after death, aligning the Śrāddha rite with cosmic justice and orderly passage for ancestors.

How does Sage Parāśara explain proper distribution after the fire-offering (homa) in this context?

He instructs that what remains after the oblations should be portioned carefully and served into the Brāhmaṇas’ vessels, emphasizing disciplined, rule-based giving as part of Śrāddha dharma.

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

Even when specific offerings are directed to deities like Yama, the rite functions within Vishnu’s overarching order (dharma/ṛta), where correct ritual action sustains harmony in the world and across generations.