Shloka 6
Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa-Śrāddha Vidhi
One-Year Concluding Rite
ततो देवप्रभृतिभ्य अपोशानं दद्यात् / अतिथिप्राप्तौ अतिधिश्राद्धं कुर्यात् / अस्मिन्नवसरे विकिरणम् / पितामाहदौ प्रश्रं कृत्वा पितृब्राह्मणम् ॐ स्वदितं भवद्भिरिति प्रश्रः / ॐ अमुकगोत्र मत्पितः अमुकशर्मन् सपत्नीक एष ते पिण्डो ये चात्रत्वामनुयाश्च त्वामनु तस्मै स्वधेति पिण्डपात्रमच्छिद्रमस्तु / ततः सङ्कल्प सिद्धिवाचनं समाप्य पिण्डं द्विधा कृत्वा ये समानाः सुमनस इति मन्त्रद्वयं पठित्वा पितामहवृद्धप्रपितामहपात्रेषु क्षिपेत् / पिण्डेषु गन्धादिकं दत्त्वा पिण्डचालनम् / अतिथिब्राह्मणे स्वदितादिप्रश्रः / ब्राह्मणानामाचमनम् / भुक्तिक्रमेण ताम्बूलदानम् / सुप्रोक्षितमस्तु शिवा आपः सन्तु--वृद्धप्रपितामहक्रमेण ब्राह्मणहस्ते जलदानम् / गोत्रस्याक्षय्यमस्तु पितृब्राह्मणहस्ते उपतिष्टतामिति सतिजलदानम्
tato devaprabhṛtibhya apośānaṃ dadyāt / atithiprāptau atidhiśrāddhaṃ kuryāt / asminnavasare vikiraṇam / pitāmāhadau praśraṃ kṛtvā pitṛbrāhmaṇam oṃ svaditaṃ bhavadbhiriti praśraḥ / oṃ amukagotra matpitaḥ amukaśarman sapatnīka eṣa te piṇḍo ye cātratvāmanuyāśca tvāmanu tasmai svadheti piṇḍapātramacchidramastu / tataḥ saṅkalpa siddhivācanaṃ samāpya piṇḍaṃ dvidhā kṛtvā ye samānāḥ sumanasa iti mantradvayaṃ paṭhitvā pitāmahavṛddhaprapitāmahapātreṣu kṣipet / piṇḍeṣu gandhādikaṃ dattvā piṇḍacālanam / atithibrāhmaṇe svaditādipraśraḥ / brāhmaṇānāmācamanam / bhuktikrameṇa tāmbūladānam / suprokṣitamastu śivā āpaḥ santu--vṛddhaprapitāmahakrameṇa brāhmaṇahaste jaladānam / gotrasyākṣayyamastu pitṛbrāhmaṇahaste upatiṣṭatāmiti satijaladānam
ततो देवप्रभृतिभ्य अपोशानं दद्यात् / अतिथिप्राप्तौ अतिधिश्राद्धं कुर्यात् / अस्मिन्नवसरे विकिरणम् / पितामाहदौ प्रश्रं कृत्वा पितृब्राह्मणम् ॐ स्वदितं भवद्भिरिति प्रश्रः...
Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa, Vinatā-putra)
Ritual Type: Sapindana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: completion phase: piṇḍa offering/division, brāhmaṇa satisfaction inquiry, concluding udaka
Concept: Śrāddha is inseparable from atithi-dharma and orderly completion (saṅkalpa-siddhi); piṇḍa distribution and concluding water affirm ancestral satisfaction and gotra continuity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as harmonization of deva, pitṛ, and manuṣya obligations; saṅkalpa and completion (siddhi) as inner integrity; blessings for lineage as social embodiment of karma.
Application: Give apośāna starting with devas; if a guest arrives, perform atithi-śrāddha; do vikiraṇa; ask satisfaction (svadita) of pitṛ-brāhmaṇa; offer piṇḍa to father with gotra/name and svadhā; pray for achchidra; declare saṅkalpa fulfilled; split piṇḍa and place portions into ancestral vessels with ‘ye samānāḥ…’ mantras; offer gandha to piṇḍas and perform piṇḍa-cālana; have brāhmaṇas do ācamanam; give tāmbūla; conclude with auspicious water offerings in order and final gotra-akṣaya blessing.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: ritual space
Related Themes: GP śrāddha sections on apośāna, vikiraṇa, atithi-śrāddha, piṇḍa-cālana, saṅkalpa-siddhi, and concluding udaka-dāna; GP mantras ‘ye samānāḥ…’ reused for piṇḍa division/placement
FAQs
This verse places apośāna first as a water-offering beginning with the Devas, and prescribes vikiraṇa as a scattering offering at the proper moment—both act as ritual preliminaries that purify and properly distribute offerings within the śrāddha sequence.
The formal inquiry confirms ritual satisfaction/completion of feeding and offerings; it is part of śrāddha etiquette where the brāhmaṇa stands in for the Pitṛs and signals that the rite is proceeding correctly.
Maintain the prescribed order: honor Devas with water first, respect guests through atithi-śrāddha if they arrive, make offerings with clear intention (saṅkalpa), and conclude with orderly water-libations—prioritizing reverence, cleanliness, and disciplined sequence.