Shloka 20
श्राद्ध-योग्य द्रव्य, निषेध, तथा गयाश्राद्ध-माहात्म्य (Śrāddha Materials, Prohibitions, and the Glory of Gayā)
गौरीं वाप्य् उद्वहेत् कन्यां नीलं वा वृषम् उत्सृजेत् यजेत वाश्वमेधेन विधिवद् दक्षिणावता
gaurīṃ vāpy udvahet kanyāṃ nīlaṃ vā vṛṣam utsṛjet yajeta vāśvamedhena vidhivad dakṣiṇāvatā
He may also set the matter right by duly marrying a fair-complexioned maiden; or by ritually releasing a dark-blue bull; or, in accordance with sacred rule, by performing the Aśvamedha sacrifice with the prescribed dakṣiṇā and gifts.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Prāyaścitta and dharma-restoration through sanctioned rites (marriage, vṛṣotsarga, aśvamedha)
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: procedural and authoritative
Concept: When dharma is impaired, it is restored through properly ordered, śāstra-sanctioned action—prāyaścitta expressed as rites performed with due rule and giving (dakṣiṇā).
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: When one errs, repair it through accountable action: restitution, disciplined practice, and generosity rather than denial; align remedies with ethical rules and community good.
Vishishtadvaita: Action becomes meaningful when performed as obedient participation in the Lord’s ordinance (niyama); giving (dakṣiṇā) and rite are integrated as service within His cosmic governance.
FAQs
It is presented as a ritual remedy: the formal “release” (utsarga) of a bull functions as a dharmic act meant to counterbalance a fault and re-establish moral-ritual order.
Parāśara lists graded, rule-bound options—marriage, a symbolic animal release, or a major royal sacrifice—emphasizing that correction must be performed vidhivat (according to injunction) and completed with proper dakṣiṇā.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the verse assumes a Vishnu-centered cosmos where yajña and dharma uphold universal order; rightful rites are a means of aligning human conduct with the sovereign, sustaining reality governed by the Supreme.