Shloka 127

Pūjādi-kathana — Gaṅgā Vratas, Tenfold Worship, Stotra, and Mokṣa on the Riverbank

Devanagari script

गंगापुलिनजां धूलिमास्तीर्याथ निजान् पितॄन् । प्रीणयन्यो नरः पिंडान्दद्यात्तान् स्वर्नयेदपि ॥ १२७ ॥

Transliteration

gaṃgāpulinajāṃ dhūlimāstīryātha nijān pitṝn | prīṇayanyo naraḥ piṃḍāndadyāttān svarnayedapi || 127 ||

Translation

เมื่อโปรยธุลีจากสันดอนริมคงคาแล้ว บุรุษพึงบูชาบรรพชนของตนด้วยการถวายปิณฑะ; ครั้นทำให้ท่านทั้งหลายยินดีแล้ว ย่อมนำท่านไปสู่สวรรค์ได้ด้วย

Word by Word

• गङ्गा-पुलिन-जाम्: born on the Ganga’s sandbank
• गङ्गा-पुलिन-जाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुलिन (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः पुलिने जाता)

• धूलिम्: dust
• धूलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आस्तीर्य: having spread (it)
• आस्तीर्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having spread’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• निजान्: one’s own
• निजान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणं पितॄन् प्रति

• पितॄन्: ancestors/fathers
• पितॄन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• प्रीणयन्: satisfying
• प्रीणयन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रीणय (प्रातिपदिक from धातु प्री/प्रीण् causative)
• Form: कृदन्त—शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘while satisfying’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पिण्डान्: funeral rice-balls (piṇḍas)
• पिण्डान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; पिण्डान् इत्यस्य अनुवाचकः

• स्वः-नयेत्: should lead (them) to heaven
• स्वः-नयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वः (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ ‘heaven’) + नी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-समासवत् प्रयोगः (स्वः = स्वर्गम्)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Pitrs

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares the Gaṅgā’s riverbank as a potent tīrtha where śrāddha with piṇḍa-dāna, performed with reverence, becomes especially effective in satisfying the Pitṛs and promoting their auspicious posthumous state.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti here is expressed as dharmic service—honoring one’s lineage through sacred-tīrtha rites; devotion is shown through faith in Gaṅgā’s sanctity and sincere intent to please the Pitṛs, which is treated as a meritorious, spiritually charged act.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights kalpa/ritual procedure: using tīrtha-material (Gaṅgā-bank dust/sand) and performing piṇḍa-dāna as part of śrāddha—an applied rule-set of Vedic ritual practice rather than grammar or astrology.