Shloka 18
Genealogy of the Ancestors (Pitṛs) and the Procedure of Śrāddha
धैर्येण तस्य सा लोके अमावास्येति विश्रुता । पितॄणां वल्लभा यस्माद्दत्तस्याक्षयकारिका
dhairyeṇa tasya sā loke amāvāsyeti viśrutā | pitṝṇāṃ vallabhā yasmāddattasyākṣayakārikā
അവന്റെ ധൈര്യം മൂലം ആ (തിഥി/ആചാരം) ലോകത്തിൽ ‘അമാവാസ്യ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി. കാരണം അത് പിതൃദേവന്മാർക്ക് പ്രിയവും, അന്നുദാനം അക്ഷയപുണ്യം നൽകുന്നതുമാണ്.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Time itself becomes a sacred conduit: offerings made on Amāvāsyā, with steadiness and right intention, become akṣaya because they are aligned with Pitṛ-prīti (ancestral satisfaction).
Application: On Amāvāsyā, perform śrāddha/tarpaṇa or at least offer water and food in remembrance of ancestors; give charity with a calm, steady mind; keep speech and conduct sattvic.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene new-moon night where the sky is deep indigo and star-dusted, a quiet riverbank altar lit by a single ghee lamp. A devotee offers water and sesame with folded hands; behind the veil of darkness, gentle ancestral silhouettes receive the offering as a soft, unseen radiance turns the act into ‘akṣaya’ merit.","primary_figures":["Pitṛs (ancestral beings)","a steadfast devotee (dāna-kartā)","optional: Viṣṇu as unseen phala-dātā presence (symbolic aura)"],"setting":"Riverbank śrāddha platform with darbha grass, sesame, water pot, and a small lamp; night sky of Amāvāsyā with subtle divine glow.","lighting_mood":"moonless, lamp-lit, subtle divine radiance","color_palette":["deep indigo","lamp-gold","sesame brown","river-silver","ash-white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a lamp-lit Amāvāsyā riverbank śrāddha scene with the devotee seated on a darbha mat offering water and sesame; faint Pitṛ forms in the background within a haloed darkness; heavy gold leaf outlining the lamp flame, offering vessels, and a symbolic Viṣṇu aura above, rich maroon and emerald accents, ornate jewelry on celestial Pitṛ figures, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet nocturnal riverbank with delicate brushwork; the devotee in simple white cloth, darbha grass and small lamp rendered with lyrical naturalism; translucent Pitṛ silhouettes among trees; cool night palette with refined faces and gentle gestures, distant hills and a thin mist over water.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; central devotee offering tarpaṇa, stylized river waves, large expressive eyes on benevolent Pitṛ figures emerging from darkness; dominant ochre, red, and green with lamp-gold highlights, temple-wall aesthetic framing the ritual implements.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Amāvāsyā as a ‘time-tirtha’—lotus and floral borders around a riverbank ritual; peacocks perched silently, cows resting; deep blue field with gold motifs; a subtle central emblem of Viṣṇu’s conch-disc above the offering, intricate patterns emphasizing akṣaya-phala."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","flowing water","night insects","gentle conch in distance","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अमावास्येति → अमावास्या इति; यस्माद्दत्तस्याक्षयकारिका → यस्मात् दत्तस्य अक्षयकारिका (त्+द् → द्द्; स्वर-सन्धि).
FAQs
It presents Amāvāsyā as a day/observance that became famous in the world and is especially dear to the Pitṛs (ancestors), emphasizing its religious importance.
The verse states that gifts offered on Amāvāsyā become ‘akṣaya’ in result—i.e., their religious merit is enduring and does not diminish—particularly in connection with rites meant to please the Pitṛs.
It encourages steadiness (dhairya) in dharmic practice and highlights charity and ancestral observances as actions that yield lasting spiritual benefit.