Shloka 253

Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline

Devanagari script

पिण्डदास्तस्य हीयन्ते न च प्रीणाति वै पितृन्‌ । धर्मने कहा--ब्राह्मण यदि राजाका कर्मचारी हो

Transliteration

piṇḍadās tasya hīyante na ca prīṇāti vai pitṝn |

Translation

达摩说道：将丧祭之饭团（piṇḍa）施与不堪受者，其人功德便会减损，祖灵亦不得真正满足。其伦理旨趣在于：献给诸神的祭供（yajña）与献给祖先的祭食（śrāddha），必须以明辨而施；不当之施，既损施者灵性福分，又不能成就本欲完成之仪轨。

Word by Word

• पिण्डदाः: givers of piṇḍa (funeral offerings)
• पिण्डदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डद (पिण्ड + द)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• हीयन्ते: decline / are diminished
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (हायते/हीयते)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada, Passive/Ātmanepada usage

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रीणाति: pleases / satisfies
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (प्रीणाति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

धर्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Piṇḍa (funerary offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Offerings for śrāddha must be made with proper discernment; giving piṇḍa inappropriately leads to the giver’s loss of merit and does not bring satisfaction to the ancestors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dharma is instructing about the consequences of improper ritual giving, stating that when piṇḍa is offered wrongly, the performer’s spiritual benefit declines and the pitṛs are not pleased.