Shloka 56
The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya
विरूपा आमगर्भाश्च ज्ञातज्ञाताः कुले मम । तेषां पिंडो मया दत्तो ह्यक्षय्यमुपतिष्ठताम् ॥ ५६ ॥
virūpā āmagarbhāśca jñātajñātāḥ kule mama | teṣāṃ piṃḍo mayā datto hyakṣayyamupatiṣṭhatām || 56 ||
无论形体残缺者、仍在胎中者，或我族中已知与未知者——愿我为他们所献的 piṇḍa（祭供）确成不竭不坏，恒常为其依怙。
Narrator (Uttara-bhaga tirtha-mahātmya voice; ritual declarative statement within the discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It universalizes śrāddha/ piṇḍa-dāna: the merit is intended to reach even those ancestors who are unknown, unnamed, or who died in difficult conditions (including in the womb), and it prays that the offering become akṣaya (inexhaustible) in benefit.
While primarily a pitṛ-rite verse, it reflects bhakti as compassionate dharma—offering with sincerity and remembrance so that grace extends beyond one’s knowledge or record, aligning ritual action with a devoted, inclusive intention.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied: piṇḍa-dāna as a formal śrāddha act, including the sankalpa-like intent to cover known/unknown ancestors and to pray for akṣaya-phala (lasting ritual merit).