Shloka 5
श्राद्ध-योग्य द्रव्य, निषेध, तथा गयाश्राद्ध-माहात्म्य (Śrāddha Materials, Prohibitions, and the Glory of Gayā)
प्रसातिकाः सनीवाराः श्यामाका द्विविधास् तथा वन्यौषधीप्रधानास् तु श्राद्धार्हाः पुरुषर्षभ
prasātikāḥ sanīvārāḥ śyāmākā dvividhās tathā vanyauṣadhīpradhānās tu śrāddhārhāḥ puruṣarṣabha
O best of men, prasātikā-grains, sanīvāra, and the two kinds of śyāmāka—along with preparations chiefly made from wild herbs—are all deemed fit to be offered in śrāddha rites for the ancestors.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Which grains and forest-produce are acceptable (śrāddhārha) for ancestral rites
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Even simple grains and wild-herb preparations, when deemed śrāddhārha and offered properly, are legitimate vehicles of dharmic obligation toward the pitṛs.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: When resources are limited, prioritize correctness, cleanliness, and intention—simple sattvic foods can fulfill dharma when offered as prescribed.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is accessible across means: the Lord accepts orderly, prescribed offerings through which embodied beings serve interconnected relations (ancestors), reflecting a world sustained by divine order.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse codifies which simple, pure staples and wild-herb-based foods are acceptable for ancestral offerings, framing Śrāddha as a dharmic act that sustains social and ritual order.
He gives concrete categories—certain grains (prasātikā, sanīvāra, śyāmāka) and preparations dominated by forest herbs—indicating that suitability is based on scriptural approval and ritual appropriateness rather than luxury.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇa’s framework treats dharma—such as properly performed Śrāddha—as part of the divinely upheld cosmic order, ultimately rooted in Vishnu’s sovereignty.