Shloka 5
श्राद्धस्यापि च माहात्म्यं तत्फलं च वद प्रभो । प्रीताश्च पितरो येन श्रेयसा योजयंति तम्
śrāddhasyāpi ca māhātmyaṃ tatphalaṃ ca vada prabho | prītāśca pitaro yena śreyasā yojayaṃti tam
Wahai Tuhan, jelaskanlah kemuliaan upacara Śrāddha dan buahnya; dengan itu para Pitṛ yang puas berkenan dan menyatukan orang itu dengan śreyas tertinggi.
A devotee/inquirer addressing Lord Shiva (within the Umāsaṃhitā dialogue context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Role: liberating
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse frames Śrāddha as a dharmic act whose deeper purpose is śreyas—spiritual uplift—because the Pitṛs, when satisfied, bestow auspicious support that helps the practitioner move toward higher good in alignment with Shiva’s order (dharma).
In the Shiva Purana’s Shaiva ethos, household rites like Śrāddha are not separate from Saguna Shiva worship; they are performed as offerings within Shiva’s cosmic law, harmonizing devotion (bhakti) and duty (karma) so the devotee’s path toward Shiva’s grace remains unobstructed.
The verse points to performing Śrāddha with faith and correctness—offering to the Pitṛs and dedicating the merit to auspicious welfare (śreyas); as a Shaiva takeaway, one may accompany the rite with Shiva-smaraṇa (remembrance) and simple japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as an inner offering.