Shloka 23
Śrāddha as Trans-realm Nourishment; Pitṛ-Conveyance; Piṇḍa-born Body and the ātivāhika; Bhakti-based Release
आत्मानं गुर्विणी गर्भमपि प्रीणाति वै यथा / दोहदेन तथा देवाः श्राद्धैः स्वांश्च पितॄन्नृणाम्
ātmānaṃ gurviṇī garbhamapi prīṇāti vai yathā / dohadena tathā devāḥ śrāddhaiḥ svāṃśca pitṝnnṛṇām
ഗർഭിണി സ്ത്രീ ദോഹദം (ആഗ്രഹം) കൊണ്ടു തനെയും ഗർഭസ്ഥ ശിശുവിനെയും പോഷിപ്പിച്ച് പ്രസന്നമാക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, ശ്രാദ്ധങ്ങളാൽ ദേവന്മാർ സന്തുഷ്ടരാകുന്നു; അവരുടെ സ്വാംശമായ പിതൃകളും മനുഷ്യർക്കായി തൃപ്തരാകുന്നു।
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Śrāddha-kāla (as appointed)
Concept: Śrāddha gratifies devas, and pitṛs as their portion; like a pregnant woman’s dohada nourishes both mother and fetus, one act benefits multiple dependents.
Vedantic Theme: Bandhu (correspondence) between microcosm and macrocosm; unity of beneficiaries through a single dharmic act.
Application: Perform śrāddha understanding its layered beneficiaries; cultivate generosity that simultaneously supports family, society, and sacred obligations.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana explanations of devatā-bhāga in śrāddha and pitṛ-tarpaṇa; Analogical teaching style in śrāddha chapters using everyday examples to establish faith
FAQs
This verse teaches that śrāddha gratifies the Devas and thereby also gratifies the Pitṛs, making it a dharmic duty that supports the ancestral line through proper offerings.
It states that Devas are pleased by śrāddha, and the Pitṛs are described as the Devas’ ‘own portion’ (svāṃśa), indicating that ancestral satisfaction is obtained through the ordained divine channel of the rite.
Perform śrāddha/tarpaṇa with sincerity—especially on pitṛ-pakṣa and death anniversaries—seeing it as a disciplined act of gratitude and continuity rather than a mere custom.