Shloka 6
श्राद्ध-योग्य द्रव्य, निषेध, तथा गयाश्राद्ध-माहात्म्य (Śrāddha Materials, Prohibitions, and the Glory of Gayā)
यवाः प्रियंगवो मुद्गा गोधूमा व्रीहयस् तिलाः निष्पावाः कोविदाराश् च सर्षपाश् चात्र शोभनाः
yavāḥ priyaṃgavo mudgā godhūmā vrīhayas tilāḥ niṣpāvāḥ kovidārāś ca sarṣapāś cātra śobhanāḥ
Here, too, thrive fine grains—barley, priyangu seed, green gram, wheat, rice, and sesame—along with niṣpāva beans, the kovidāra tree, and splendid mustard.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Enumerating grains/produce suitable and ‘śobhana’ in the context of śrāddha and ordered livelihood
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Agrarian abundance and proper produce are treated as ‘śobhana’ supports for dharmic life and rites, implying that ordered society and ritual depend on well-governed sustenance.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate gratitude and restraint around food; support ethical agriculture and offer a portion in remembrance/charity as a dharmic discipline.
Vishishtadvaita: Bhūmi as the Lord’s śakti/consort-like support (Bhū-devī) and the world’s nourishment functions within His order, aligning material prosperity with sacred duty rather than mere consumption.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi
FAQs
It maps sacred geography through tangible signs of prosperity, showing how an ordered world is maintained—fertility and abundance functioning as markers of dharmic and cosmic stability.
By describing the region’s natural produce, Parāśara presents order not as abstraction but as lived reality—regular seasons, dependable harvests, and sustaining resources within the world-structure he is outlining.
Even without naming Vishnu directly, the verse belongs to a cosmological account where the world’s coherence and prosperity ultimately rest on Vishnu as the sustaining Supreme principle behind creation’s functioning.