Shloka 44
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
मैंने जो दोष बताये हैं, वे वैसे ही प्राप्त होते हैं। इसमें कोई परिवर्तन नहीं होता; अतः ब्राह्मण स्नान करके पवित्र एवं क्षमाशील हो श्राद्धमें भोजन करे ।।
mayā ye doṣāḥ pradarśitāḥ te tathāiva prāpyante; atra na kiñcid vikāraḥ. ataḥ brāhmaṇaḥ snātvā pavitraḥ kṣamāśīlaś ca śrāddhe bhojanaṃ kuryāt. prajā vivardhate cāsya yaś caivaṃ samprayacchati. tataḥ vidyutprabho nāma ṛṣir āha mahātapāḥ.
O mensageiro divino disse: “As faltas que apontei produzem seus resultados exatamente como foi dito; não há alteração nesta lei. Portanto, um brāhmaṇa deve banhar-se, tornar-se puro e, com disposição indulgente, participar da refeição do śrāddha. Para aquele que oferece o dom do śrāddha desse modo, a descendência aumenta.” Depois que os Pitṛs falaram assim, um grande asceta chamado Vidyutprabha então apresentou sua pergunta.
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
Karmic consequences are invariable: faults yield their stated results without alteration. Therefore śrāddha should be approached with ritual purity (bathing), inner discipline (forgiveness), and proper giving; such correct performance is said to support prosperity, especially the growth of one’s progeny.
A divine messenger explains the fixed nature of moral causality and prescribes the proper disposition for participating in a śrāddha meal. The Pitṛs’ assurance that correct śrāddha-giving increases progeny is followed by the entrance of the ascetic sage Vidyutprabha, who then poses a question, moving the dialogue forward.