Shloka 32

Nāndīmukha-śrāddha (Prosperity Rites), Preta-kriyā, Aśauca, Ekoddiṣṭa, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Framework

Devanagari script

कुलद्वये ऽपि चोच्छिन्ने स्त्रीभिः कार्याः क्रिया नृप संघातान्तर्गतैर् वापि कार्याः प्रेतस्य याः क्रियाः उत्सन्नबन्धुरिक्थानां कारयेद् अवनीपतिः

Transliteration

kuladvaye 'pi cocchinne strībhiḥ kāryāḥ kriyā nṛpa saṃghātāntargatair vāpi kāryāḥ pretasya yāḥ kriyāḥ utsannabandhurikthānāṃ kārayed avanīpatiḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราช แม้สายตระกูลทั้งสองจะขาดสูญไปแล้ว พิธีกรรมแก่ผู้ล่วงลับก็พึงกระทำให้ครบถ้วน—โดยสตรีหรือโดยคนในชุมชนก็ได้ พิธีที่พึงมีแก่ผู้ตายอย่าให้ขาดตก; และผู้ใดญาติสูญสิ้น ทรัพย์ไร้ทายาท พระราชาผู้เป็นเจ้าแผ่นดินพึงให้ประกอบพิธีนั้นโดยถูกต้อง

Word by Word

• कुलद्वये: in the two families (both lineages)
• कुलद्वये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल-द्वय (प्रातिपदिक; कुल + द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative) — "in the two families"

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

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction) — "and"

• उच्छिन्ने: when (it is) cut off/extinct
• उच्छिन्ने: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-छिद् (धातु) → उच्छिन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण — कुलद्वये इति पदस्य

• स्त्रीभिः: by women
• स्त्रीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental) — "by women"

• कार्याः: to be done/should be performed
• कार्याः: Predicate (Vidhi/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: विधेयकृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण — क्रियाः इति

• क्रियाः: rites/ceremonies
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृ/विधेयविषय — "rites"

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन — "O king"

• संघातान्तर्गतैः: by those belonging to the community/assembly
• संघातान्तर्गतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघात-अन्तर्गत (प्रातिपदिक; संघात + अन्तर्गत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण — "by those within the group/assembly"

• वा: or
• वा: Connector (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle) — "or"

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात — "also"

• कार्याः: should be performed
• कार्याः: Predicate (Vidhi/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण — क्रियाः

• प्रेतस्य: of the deceased
• प्रेतस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive) — "of the departed"

• याः: which
• याः: Visheshana (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक/विशेषण — क्रियाः इति

• क्रियाः: rites
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृ/विषय

• उत्सन्नबन्धुरिक्थानाम्: of those with no surviving relatives (heirless)
• उत्सन्नबन्धुरिक्थानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सन्न-बन्धु-रिक्थ (प्रातिपदिक; उत्सन्न + बन्धु + रिक्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध — "of those whose kinsmen are extinct (and who have) inheritance" (i.e., heirless property)

• कारयेत्: should cause (them) to be performed
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कारयति (णिच् causative)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative/imperative sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) — "should cause to be done"

• अवनीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• अवनीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनी-पति (प्रातिपदिक; अवनी + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता — "the king"

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; framed as guidance for kings)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Śrāddha and funerary duties (preta-kriyā) including cases with no surviving kin and the king’s obligation

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even without surviving heirs, the obligatory rites for the departed must be ensured—by women, the community, or the king—so dharma and the preta’s due are not neglected.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Support last-rites and community care for the unclaimed dead through family, community institutions, and civic responsibility.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is upheld as service within Bhagavān’s moral order, where social responsibility participates in sustaining cosmic-ethical harmony.

Characters & Entities

• King (Nṛpa/Avanīpati)
• Women (Strībhiḥ)
• Community/collective (Saṃghāta)
• The departed (Preta)

FAQs

What is the significance of unclaimed funeral rites in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse makes ritual continuity a public obligation: even without surviving family lines, the departed’s rites must be performed to preserve dharma and social order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the king’s responsibility in this context?

Parāśara assigns the ruler a direct duty to ensure rites are carried out for those without relatives or heirs, showing kingship as guardianship over both welfare and sacred law.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Though Vishnu is not named, the teaching reflects Vaishnava dharma: the cosmos is upheld by order, and the king—an instrument of that order—must prevent the breakdown of essential rites.