Shloka 15
Nāga–Nāgabhāryā Saṃvāda: Varṇa-Dharma, Gṛhastha-Discipline, and Mokṣa-Self-Inquiry
Mahābhārata 12.347
स्थापयामास वै पृथ्व्यां कुशानास्तीर्य नारद । स तेष्वात्मानमुद्दिश्य पित्रयं चक्रे यथाविधि
sthāpayāmāsa vai pṛthvyāṃ kuśān āstīrya nārada | sa teṣv ātmānam uddiśya pitryaṃ cakre yathāvidhi ||
नारद! उन्होंने पृथ्वी पर कुश बिछाकर (वहाँ) स्थापित किये। फिर उन्हीं कुशों पर, अपने को उद्देशित करके, विधि के अनुसार पितृकर्म किया।
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma as disciplined observance: sacred acts—especially those honoring ancestors—should be performed at the proper time and strictly according to prescribed procedure (yathāvidhi), reflecting respect for tradition and moral order.
Nārada describes a ritual scene: kuśa grass is spread on the ground, and upon that ritual base an ancestral offering (pitrya) is performed, explicitly dedicated with intention (uddiśya) and carried out in the correct manner.