Shloka 31

Adhyaya 32 — Rules for Parvana Śrāddha: Foods that Please the Ancestors and Items to Avoid

Sanskrit

पितृगाथास्तथवात्र गीयन्ते ब्रह्मवादिभिः ।

या गीताः पितृभिः पूर्वमैलस्यासीन् महीपतेः ॥

Transliteration

pitṛ-gāthās tathavātra gīyante brahmavādibhiḥ / yā gītāḥ pitṛbhiḥ pūrvam ailasyāsīn mahīpateḥ

Translation

ที่นี่ด้วย เหล่าพรหมวาทินขับร้อง ‘ปิตฤคาถา’—คือบทที่ปิตฤทั้งหลายเคยขับร้องไว้แต่กาลก่อน ในสมัยพระราชาไอละ ข้าแต่พระราชา

Word by Word

• पितृगाथाः: songs of the ancestors
• पितृगाथाः: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + गाथा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पितॄणां गाथाः

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• वा: or
• वा: Nipata/Discourse (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्प-निपात)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana/Location (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Deictic adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• गीयन्ते: are sung
• गीयन्ते: Kriya/Predicate (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु √गै ‘to sing’)
• Form: Present (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural; passive-like sense ‘are sung’

• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: by the expounders of brahman (Vedic sages)
• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: Kartr-karana/Agent-instrument (कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवादिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष sense: ब्रह्म वदन्ति ये

• याः: which
• याः: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun referring to गाथाः

• गीताः: sung
• गीताः: Visheshana/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीता (√गै + क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; ‘sung’

• पितृभिः: by the ancestors
• पितृभिः: Karana/Agent (करण/कर्ता in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala/Time (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• ऐलस्य: of Aila
• ऐलस्य: Sambandha/Possessor (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; patronymic ‘of Aila (Purūravas)’

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya/Predicate (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु √अस् ‘to be’)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• महीपतेः: of the king
• महीपतेः: Sambandha/Possessor (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: महीपतेः = ‘of the lord of earth/king’

Speakers

• Dharmic instruction within Markandeya Purana’s ritual discourse (addressing a ‘king’ in the verse)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śrāddha
• Vedic recitation
• Tradition (smṛti/paramparā)
• Royal precedent

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Śrāddha is anchored in transmitted memory: the rite is sustained by recitation and lineage (paramparā). By invoking ancient royal time, the text frames pitṛ-honor as a civilizational duty, not a private act.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Touches vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita indirectly by referencing Aila lineage, but the verse’s main function is ritual-liturgical (pitṛ-gāthā in śrāddha).

What is the esoteric significance?

Pitṛ-gāthā functions as ‘vāk-śakti’ (power of sanctified speech): sound as a bridge between temporal human actors and ancestral intelligences.