Shloka 9
श्राद्ध-योग्य द्रव्य, निषेध, तथा गयाश्राद्ध-माहात्म्य (Śrāddha Materials, Prohibitions, and the Glory of Gayā)
आरक्ताश् चैव निर्यासाः प्रत्यक्षलवणानि च वर्ज्यान्य् एतानि वै श्राद्धे यच् च वाचा न शस्यते
āraktāś caiva niryāsāḥ pratyakṣalavaṇāni ca varjyāny etāni vai śrāddhe yac ca vācā na śasyate
At the Śrāddha offering, red-tinted foods, plant resins, and visible salt are to be avoided. Likewise, whatever is not sanctioned by right speech is also to be shunned.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Śrāddha do’s and don’ts, including foods and speech norms
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Ritual efficacy depends on conformity to sanctioned conduct, including restraint in speech and avoidance of impure or improper substances.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: In sacred contexts, practice careful speech (truthful, non-harmful, tradition-aligned) and avoid offerings that violate established purity codes.
Vishishtadvaita: Speech and ritual are treated as modes of service to the Lord and the Pitṛs; disciplined vāṅ-niyama aligns the self with divine order rather than private preference.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames Śrāddha as a rite requiring careful purity: certain items (reddened foods, resins, coarse salt) are excluded so the offering aligns with sanctioned tradition and maintains ritual integrity for the Pitṛs.
Parāśara lists concrete exclusions (specific substances) and adds a broader rule: anything not approved by authoritative prescription—“not sanctioned by speech” in the sense of accepted injunction—should also be avoided.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats dharma and correct ritual order as operating under the Supreme Reality’s governance—proper Śrāddha becomes part of sustaining cosmic and social harmony upheld by Vishnu.