Shloka 2
Śrāddha Vidhi: Kāla (Timing), Pātra (Recipient), and Karma (Procedure) for Pitṛ-tarpaṇa and Piṇḍa
द्रव्यं ब्राह्मणसम्पत्तिर्विषुवत्सूर्यसंक्रमः / व्यतीपातो गजच्छाया ग्रहणं चन्द्रसूर्ययोः
dravyaṃ brāhmaṇasampattirviṣuvatsūryasaṃkramaḥ / vyatīpāto gajacchāyā grahaṇaṃ candrasūryayoḥ
द्रव्यं ब्राह्मणसम्पत्तिर्विषुवत्सूर्यसंक्रमः । व्यतीपातो गजच्छाया ग्रहणं चन्द्रसूर्ययोः ॥
Lord Viṣṇu (in dialogue to Garuḍa)
Concept: Kāla (time) and nimitta (omens/astral conjunctions) condition the appropriateness and fruit of rites and social-religious prosperity.
Vedantic Theme: R̥ta/dharma as cosmic order; karma’s fruition is time-conditioned within prakṛti.
Application: Consult pañcāṅga/astronomical markers before major rites (esp. śrāddha/dāna); avoid inauspicious conjunctions where tradition prescribes restraint; prioritize dharmic timing over convenience.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Śrāddha-khaṇḍa passages on śrāddha-kāla, grahaṇa-vyavahāra, and dāna during saṅkrānti/grahaṇa (contextual parallel within the same adhyāya sequence)
FAQs
This verse groups eclipses, the Sun’s transits (saṅkrānti), and the equinox as significant time-markers/omens, indicating that ritual life and dharmic observance consider cosmic timings and exceptional celestial events.
Indirectly: rather than describing the soul’s journey, it highlights the ritual-astral framework used in Purāṇic tradition to judge timing and conditions that affect religious acts connected with dharma and post-death rites.
Treat major calendrical events (equinox, saṅkrānti, eclipses) as prompts for heightened discipline—prayer, charity, restraint, and careful planning of rites according to one’s tradition and qualified guidance.