Shloka 19

Adhyaya 31 — Naimittika and Related Śrāddha Rites: Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, Eligibility, Timing, and Procedure

Sanskrit

तस्य कालानहं वक्ष्ये नित्यनैमित्तिकात्मकान् ।

विधिना येन च नरैः क्रियते तन्निबोध मे ॥

Transliteration

tasya kālān ahaṃ vakṣye nitya-naimittikātmākān /

vidhinā yena ca naraiḥ kriyate tan nibodha me

Translation

ഇതിനുള്ള യഥാർത്ഥ സമയങ്ങൾ—നിത്യവും നൈമിത്തികവും എന്നിങ്ങനെ ഇരുവിധവും—കൂടാതെ മനുഷ്യർ ഇത് ചെയ്യുന്ന വിധിക്രമവും ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കും; എന്നിൽ നിന്ന് ഇത് ഗ്രഹിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; genitive ‘of that/its’

• कालान्: times; occasions
• कालान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; object

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: I will tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नित्य-नैमित्तिक-आत्मकान्: having the nature of regular and occasional (rites)
• नित्य-नैमित्तिक-आत्मकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष-प्रधानः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘having the nature of (ātmakāḥ) nitya and naimittika’

• विधिना: by the prescribed procedure
• विधिना: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental ‘by rule/according to procedure’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘by which’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agent in passive

• क्रियते: is done; is performed
• क्रियते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; object ‘that’

• निबोध: understand; learn
• निबोध: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-नि

• मे: from me; my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (enclitic); here genitive ‘of me/from me’ in sense ‘from me’

Speakers

• Not specified in provided excerpt (didactic narrator/teacher voice)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ritual taxonomy
• Nitya vs Naimittika karma
• Pitṛ-pūjā

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is not only intention but also discernment of context: some duties are regular (nitya), others arise from specific triggers (naimittika). The verse frames śrāddha as a disciplined practice integrated with time, event, and rule.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This is āhnika/ācāra (ritual conduct) material, supplementary to pancalakṣaṇa; it reflects Purāṇic pedagogy that combines cosmology with lived dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Time’ (kāla) is treated as a sacred organizer of merit: aligning acts with auspicious or mandated temporal nodes mirrors harmonizing the microcosm (householder life) with the macrocosm (cosmic order).