Pitṛbhakti and Śrāddha: The Classification of Pitṛs and the Superiority of Pitṛ-kārya
एवमुक्ताश्च ते सर्वे प्रोक्षयित्वा च गां तदा । पितृभ्यः कल्पयित्वा तु ह्युपायुंजत भारत
evamuktāśca te sarve prokṣayitvā ca gāṃ tadā | pitṛbhyaḥ kalpayitvā tu hyupāyuṃjata bhārata
આ રીતે કહ્યા પછી તેઓ બધાએ ત્યારે ગાય પર પવિત્ર જળનું પ્રોક્ષણ કર્યું. પછી પિતૃઓ માટે અર્પણરૂપે તેને નિર્ધારિત કરીને, હે ભારત, તેનો ઉપયોગ કરવા લાગ્યા.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
It highlights that dharmic action begins with purity and right intention—sanctifying what is offered and dedicating it properly to the Pitṛs, aligning worldly duty with sacred order under Shiva’s overarching governance of dharma.
While the verse is about Pitṛ offerings, it reflects the Shiva Purana’s ritual ethos: sanctification (prokṣaṇa) and correct dedication are essential in all saguna worship—whether for the Pitṛs or before approaching Shiva’s linga with offerings performed according to injunction.
A practical takeaway is prokṣaṇa—purifying offerings with consecrated water and mentally dedicating the act to its rightful recipient (here, the Pitṛs). This same discipline applies to Shiva worship with mantra-japa and purified offerings.