Shloka 253

Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline

Devanagari script

पिण्डदास्तस्य हीयन्ते न च प्रीणाति वै पितृन्‌ । धर्मने कहा--ब्राह्मण यदि राजाका कर्मचारी हो

Transliteration

piṇḍadās tasya hīyante na ca prīṇāti vai pitṝn |

Translation

ダルマは言った。不相応の受け手に葬送の飯団（ピンダ、piṇḍa）を施す者は、その功徳が減じ、祖霊もまた真に満たされない。要は、神々への供物（ヤジュニャ、yajña）と祖先への供養（シュラーダッダ、śrāddha）は、分別をもって授けねばならぬ。不当な施与は施主の霊的福分を損ない、儀礼の本旨を成就しないのである。

Word by Word

• पिण्डदाः: givers of piṇḍa (funeral offerings)
• पिण्डदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डद (पिण्ड + द)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• हीयन्ते: decline / are diminished
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (हायते/हीयते)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada, Passive/Ātmanepada usage

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रीणाति: pleases / satisfies
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (प्रीणाति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

धर्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Piṇḍa (funerary offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Offerings for śrāddha must be made with proper discernment; giving piṇḍa inappropriately leads to the giver’s loss of merit and does not bring satisfaction to the ancestors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dharma is instructing about the consequences of improper ritual giving, stating that when piṇḍa is offered wrongly, the performer’s spiritual benefit declines and the pitṛs are not pleased.