Shloka 32
Śrāddha Vidhi (Pārvaṇa-Śrāddha): Invitations, Arghya, Protective Rites, Piṇḍa Offering, Dakṣiṇā, and Visarjana
ततः पितृब्राह्मणे पिण्डाः सम्पन्ना इति प्रश्रः / सुसम्पन्ना इति पिण्डे क्षीरधारां दत्त्वा पिण्डचालनं अतिथिब्राह्मणे पिण्डपात्रमुत्तानं कृत्वा ॐ वाजे वाजे वत वाजिनो नो धनेषु विप्रा अमृता ऋतज्ञाः / अस्यमध्वः पिबत मादयध्वं तृप्ता यात पथिभिर्देवयानैरिति पिण्डा दिविसर्जनं-आमावाजस्य प्रसवो जगम्यादेमे द्यावापृथिवी विश्वरूपे आमागन्तां पितरा चामा सोमो ऽमृतत्वेन गम्यात् / ॐ अभिगम्यतामिति पितृब्राह्मणविसर्जनम् / ब्राह्मणैरनुद्गतस्य निवर्तनम् / गवादिषु पिण्डप्रतिपादनमिति शेषः
tataḥ pitṛbrāhmaṇe piṇḍāḥ sampannā iti praśraḥ / susampannā iti piṇḍe kṣīradhārāṃ dattvā piṇḍacālanaṃ atithibrāhmaṇe piṇḍapātramuttānaṃ kṛtvā oṃ vāje vāje vata vājino no dhaneṣu viprā amṛtā ṛtajñāḥ / asyamadhvaḥ pibata mādayadhvaṃ tṛptā yāta pathibhirdevayānairiti piṇḍā divisarjanaṃ-āmāvājasya prasavo jagamyādeme dyāvāpṛthivī viśvarūpe āmāgantāṃ pitarā cāmā somo 'mṛtatvena gamyāt / oṃ abhigamyatāmiti pitṛbrāhmaṇavisarjanam / brāhmaṇairanudgatasya nivartanam / gavādiṣu piṇḍapratipādanamiti śeṣaḥ
Puis on demande au brāhmaṇa des Pitṛ : «Les piṇḍa sont-ils dûment accomplis ?» Il répond : «Ils sont parfaitement accomplis.» En disant «Parfaitement accomplis», on verse un filet de lait sur le piṇḍa et on le met doucement en mouvement. Pour le brāhmaṇa invité, ayant redressé le récipient du piṇḍa, on récite : «Oṃ vāje vāje… buvez cette douceur, enivrez-vous; rassasiés, allez par les voies divines (devayāna).» Ainsi les piṇḍa sont rituellement relâchés vers le ciel. Puis l’on prie : «Que l’élan de la nourriture s’avance; que ciel et terre, de forme universelle, s’approchent; que viennent les Pères, et que Soma progresse par l’immortalité.» Avec «Oṃ abhigamyatām—qu’ils s’approchent», on congédie les brāhmaṇa des Pitṛ. On rectifie aussi ce qui n’a pas été correctement prononcé par les brāhmaṇa. Le reste consiste à attribuer les piṇḍa aux vaches et autres êtres.
Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Completion and visarjana phase: after piṇḍa offering, during confirmation, milk libation, mantra-release, and brāhmaṇa dismissal; followed by śeṣa handling
Concept: Ritual completion (sampanna) and proper visarjana ensure intended karma-phala; mantras frame offerings as nourishment leading to satisfaction and onward journey by divine paths.
Vedantic Theme: karma’s subtle efficacy depends on saṅkalpa, mantra, and completion; the imagery of devayāna hints at graded post-mortem destinies within saṃsāra.
Application: Confirm piṇḍa completion with the pitṛ-brāhmaṇa; pour milk stream on piṇḍa and gently move it; recite the given Vedic mantras for release; dismiss pitṛ-brāhmaṇas with ‘abhigamyatām’; rectify misrecitations; assign remaining piṇḍas to cows (or prescribed recipients).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: ritual ground transitioning to symbolic cosmic pathway
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.218: piṇḍa-sampanna praśna, kṣīra-dhārā, piṇḍa-visarjana, brāhmaṇa-visarjana, śeṣa-vidhi
FAQs
This verse frames piṇḍa-dāna as a formally completed rite verified by the Pitṛ-brāhmaṇa, then empowered by milk and Vedic mantras to “release” the offering toward the ancestors’ course, making the ritual conclusion (visarjana) valid.
By invoking “devayāna” (the divine path) and sending the piṇḍas “heavenward,” the verse links correct śrāddha procedure with guiding/benefiting the departed through auspicious cosmic pathways rather than leaving the rite unfinished or misdirected.
Perform śrāddha with procedural clarity—confirm completion, offer respectfully (milk/food), recite authorized mantras with care, and properly conclude with visarjana—emphasizing intention, correctness, and reverence toward elders/ancestors.