Shloka 16
Śrāddha’s Cosmic Reach and Kāla-Nirṇaya (Sacred Timings): Amāvāsyā, Nakṣatra-Yoga, Tīrtha, and Minimum Offerings
काले धनिष्ठा यदि नाम तस्मिन् भवन्ति भूपाल तदा पितृभ्यः दत्तं जलान्नं प्रददाति तृप्तिं वर्षायुतं तत्कुलजैर् मनुष्यैः
kāle dhaniṣṭhā yadi nāma tasmin bhavanti bhūpāla tadā pitṛbhyaḥ dattaṃ jalānnaṃ pradadāti tṛptiṃ varṣāyutaṃ tatkulajair manuṣyaiḥ
हे भूपाल, त्याच काळी धनिष्ठा नक्षत्र असल्यास पितरांना दिलेले जल व अन्न त्यांना दहा हजार वर्षे तृप्ती देतात. त्या कुलात जन्मलेल्या मनुष्यांसाठी हे दान अत्यंत फलदायी ठरते.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; the verse is framed as addressing a king/householder: 'bhūpāla')
FAQs
The verse states that when Dhaniṣṭhā prevails at the proper ritual time, offerings made to the ancestors become exceptionally potent, granting them long-lasting satisfaction.
Parāśara emphasizes that timing is not incidental: when rites align with the right calendrical conditions, the same offerings (water and food) yield far greater spiritual results.
Even in a verse focused on Śrāddha, the Purana’s larger frame is that dharma operates within Vishnu’s cosmic order; correct ritual timing reflects alignment with the divine governance of time and law.