Shloka 19

Āvāhāryaka-Śrāddha: Qualifications of Recipients, Paṅkti-Pāvana, and Exclusions

Devanagari script

प्रकृतेर्गुणतत्त्वज्ञो यस्याश्नाति यतिर्हविः / फलं वेदविदां तस्य सहस्रादतिरिच्यते

Transliteration

prakṛterguṇatattvajño yasyāśnāti yatirhaviḥ / phalaṃ vedavidāṃ tasya sahasrādatiricyate

Translation

Le fruit obtenu par ceux qui ne font que connaître le Veda est surpassé mille fois par le mérite de celui dont un yati—connaissant la réalité de Prakṛti et de ses guṇa—prend part à l’offrande sacrificielle (havis).

Word by Word

• प्रकृतेः: of Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतेः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• गुण-तत्त्व-ज्ञः: knower of the principles of the guṇas
• गुण-तत्त्व-ज्ञः: विशेषण (of यतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—गुणतत्त्वं जानाति इति (upapada-tatpuruṣa sense)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• आश्नाति: eats/partakes
• आश्नाति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यतिः: an ascetic
• यतिः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हविः: oblation/food offering
• हविः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (object)

• फलम्: the fruit (result)
• फलम्: कर्ता (Subject of अतिरिच्यते)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेद-विदाम्: of the knowers of the Veda
• वेद-विदाम्: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक: विद् ‘knower’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—वेदं विदन्ति ये (upapada-tatpuruṣa)

• तस्य: of that (person)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सहस्रात्: than a thousand
• सहस्रात्: अपादान (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अतिरिच्यते: exceeds
• अतिरिच्यते: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + रिच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग—‘exceeds/is surpassed’

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s teaching on dharma and higher merit through jñāna and renunciation)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Guṇas
• Yati
• Havis
• Veda

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By privileging guṇa–tattva-jñāna (discerning Prakṛti and its guṇas), the verse points toward the classical insight that the Self is distinct from Nature’s qualities; true spiritual fruit arises when one honors that discriminative knowledge rather than mere textual learning.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It emphasizes jñāna-based discipline akin to Sāṅkhya-Yoga: viveka (discrimination of guṇas), vairāgya (detachment), and the “inner yajña” where offering is purified through renunciation—an orientation that later supports Kurma Purana themes associated with Pāśupata-style inner practice.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Though not naming them directly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance: ritual (often linked with Vedic-Vaishnava frames) is fulfilled and transcended by higher knowledge and ascetic realization (often foregrounded in Shaiva/Pāśupata currents), presenting a unified ladder of dharma culminating in liberating insight.