Shloka 19

Āvāhāryaka-Śrāddha: Qualifications of Recipients, Paṅkti-Pāvana, and Exclusions

Devanagari script

प्रकृतेर्गुणतत्त्वज्ञो यस्याश्नाति यतिर्हविः / फलं वेदविदां तस्य सहस्रादतिरिच्यते

Transliteration

prakṛterguṇatattvajño yasyāśnāti yatirhaviḥ / phalaṃ vedavidāṃ tasya sahasrādatiricyate

Translation

仅知吠陀者所得之果报，远不及那位供养者之功德：当一位遁世者（yati）——洞见原质（Prakṛti）及其诸德性（guṇa）之真实——享用其祭供之食（havis）时，此功德胜过千倍。

Word by Word

• प्रकृतेः: of Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतेः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• गुण-तत्त्व-ज्ञः: knower of the principles of the guṇas
• गुण-तत्त्व-ज्ञः: विशेषण (of यतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—गुणतत्त्वं जानाति इति (upapada-tatpuruṣa sense)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• आश्नाति: eats/partakes
• आश्नाति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यतिः: an ascetic
• यतिः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हविः: oblation/food offering
• हविः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (object)

• फलम्: the fruit (result)
• फलम्: कर्ता (Subject of अतिरिच्यते)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेद-विदाम्: of the knowers of the Veda
• वेद-विदाम्: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक: विद् ‘knower’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—वेदं विदन्ति ये (upapada-tatpuruṣa)

• तस्य: of that (person)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सहस्रात्: than a thousand
• सहस्रात्: अपादान (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अतिरिच्यते: exceeds
• अतिरिच्यते: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + रिच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग—‘exceeds/is surpassed’

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s teaching on dharma and higher merit through jñāna and renunciation)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Guṇas
• Yati
• Havis
• Veda

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By privileging guṇa–tattva-jñāna (discerning Prakṛti and its guṇas), the verse points toward the classical insight that the Self is distinct from Nature’s qualities; true spiritual fruit arises when one honors that discriminative knowledge rather than mere textual learning.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It emphasizes jñāna-based discipline akin to Sāṅkhya-Yoga: viveka (discrimination of guṇas), vairāgya (detachment), and the “inner yajña” where offering is purified through renunciation—an orientation that later supports Kurma Purana themes associated with Pāśupata-style inner practice.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Though not naming them directly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance: ritual (often linked with Vedic-Vaishnava frames) is fulfilled and transcended by higher knowledge and ascetic realization (often foregrounded in Shaiva/Pāśupata currents), presenting a unified ladder of dharma culminating in liberating insight.