Shloka 4
ततः पितृब्राह्मणहस्ते पात्रस्थपवित्रदानम् / पात्रस्थपुष्पेण शिरसः करपादार्चनं ब्राह्मणहस्ते ऽन्य जलदानं--हस्ताभ्यां पात्रमुत्थाप्य ॐ या दिव्येति पठित्वा ॐ अमुकगोत्र मत्पितामह अमुकदेवशर्मन् सपत्नीक एष ते अर्घ्यः स्वधा / पितृपात्रेणैव पितामहब्राह्मणहस्ते स्तोकमर्घ्योदकं सपवित्रङ्गृहीत्वास्तोकमुदकं पिण्डसेचनार्थं पात्रान्तरेण पिधाय पितृब्राह्मणवामपार्श्व दक्षिणाग्रकुशोपरि पितृभ्यः स्तानमसीति अधोमुखपात्रस्थपनम्
tataḥ pitṛbrāhmaṇahaste pātrasthapavitradānam / pātrasthapuṣpeṇa śirasaḥ karapādārcanaṃ brāhmaṇahaste 'nya jaladānaṃ--hastābhyāṃ pātramutthāpya oṃ yā divyeti paṭhitvā oṃ amukagotra matpitāmaha amukadevaśarman sapatnīka eṣa te arghyaḥ svadhā / pitṛpātreṇaiva pitāmahabrāhmaṇahaste stokamarghyodakaṃ sapavitraṅgṛhītvāstokamudakaṃ piṇḍasecanārthaṃ pātrāntareṇa pidhāya pitṛbrāhmaṇavāmapārśva dakṣiṇāgrakuśopari pitṛbhyaḥ stānamasīti adhomukhapātrasthapanam
Kemudian, ke dalam tangan Brahmana yang mewakili Pitṛ, seseorang harus meletakkan pavitra (cincin suci kusa) yang diletakkan di atas bekas. Mengangkat bekas dengan kedua-dua belah tangan dan melafazkan "Oṃ yā divyā...", seseorang harus berkata: "Oṃ—Wahai datuk sebelah bapa saya dari gotra sekian-sekian, bernama Amuka Devaśarman, bersama dengan isteri anda—arghya ini adalah untuk anda; svadhā."
Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinātā-putra, describing śrāddha-tarpaṇa procedure)
Ritual Type: Sapindana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: mid-rite: arghya and preparation for piṇḍa-secanā
Concept: Correct arghya offering with gotra/name specificity and svadhā, using pavitra and kuśa, establishes a valid channel to pitṛs; ‘sthana’ placement anchors the rite.
Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa specificity within dharma: intention (saṅkalpa) and precise designation shape karmic efficacy; śraddhā as operative power.
Application: Place pavitra on the vessel into the pitṛ-brāhmaṇa’s hand; perform aṅga-sparśa with the vessel-flower; offer water; lift vessel and recite; address the pitāmaha with gotra/name and ‘svadhā’; reserve water for piṇḍa-secanā; place inverted vessel on south-tipped kuśa at the left, declaring it the pitṛ-seat.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: ritual space
Related Themes: GP śrāddha passages on pavitra (kuśa-ring) and arghya to pitṛs; GP directions: south/left placement for pitṛ-kārya; piṇḍa-secanā preliminaries
FAQs
This verse shows that arghya-water is formally offered to the ancestor with the declaration “eṣa te arghyaḥ svadhā,” where svadhā is the dedicated ancestral invocation that seals the offering as Pitṛ-oriented (not deva-oriented).
It instructs lifting the vessel with both hands while reciting a mantra, taking a small portion of arghya-water with the pavitra, reserving water for piṇḍa-sprinkling, and finally placing the vessel inverted on south-tipped kuśa as a symbolic “seat” for the Pitṛs.
Even when rites are simplified, maintain clarity of intention: dedicate offerings specifically to ancestors (svadhā), follow cleanliness and sanctification (pavitra/kuśa), and perform actions with reverence and correct orientation as taught by one’s tradition and priest.