Verse 3.127

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

प्रथिता प्रेतकृत्यैषा पित्र्यं नाम विधुक्षये ।
तस्मिन् युक्तस्यैति नित्यं प्रेतकृत्यैव लौकिकी ॥ १२७ ॥

prathitā pretakṛtyaiṣā pitryaṃ nāma vidhukṣaye |
tasmin yuktasyaiti nityaṃ pretakṛtyaiva laukikī || 127 ||

This rite named “Pitrya,” performed on the Moonless Day is known as beneficial to the dead. To him who is intent on performing it, there always accrues benefit after death, offered according to human ordinances.—(127)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Rites performed for the gods’ are not regarded as conferring any benefit on the gods; such, however, is not the case with this rite which is named ‘Pitrya.’ “What then?” It is ‘known,’ among people learned in the Vedas as ‘beneficial to the dead’—as conferring a benefit on the dead.

‘On the moonless night’—on the day on which there is no moon; i.e., the amārasyā day. Another residing is ‘vidhikṣaye.’ But the most faultless reading is ‘vidhuhṣaye.’ The meaning of the former would be that the rile named Pitryā is one that has been prescribed as to be done in the house.

‘Upon this’—upon this rite,—‘he who is intent’—he who is busy with its performance. To him there ‘always accrues,’ ‘benefit after death;’ i.e., for him also benefit after death is conferred by his sons performing the śrāddha and other rites for him.

What this means is that the continuity of the lines of one’s descendants—sons and grandsons—is the reward of performing śrāddhas. But this reward is not the incentive to its performance; as the rite has already been described as an obligatory one.

Others, however, have regarded this as indicating another incentive, for one desiring continuity of his line.

‘Offered according to human ordinances’:—i.e., this rite is performed according to rules laid down in the Smṛtis.—(127)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Vidhukṣaye’—‘On the moonless day’.—Govindarāja reads ‘vidhiḥ kṣaye’, which Medhātithi notes with approval, and explains as—the ‘vidhi’, rite, named—‘nāma’—‘Pitrya,’ is to be performed in the house, ‘kṣaye, gṛhe.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (15.1).—‘One shall offer Śrāddha to Pitṛs on the moonless day.’

Viṣṇu (76.1-2).—‘The moonless day, the three Aṣṭakās, the three Anvaṣṭakās, the full-moon days of the month of Māgha, the thirteenth day of the darker fortnight following after the full-moon day of the month of Bhādra;—these are the occasions for obligatory Śrāddha, laid down by Prajāpati; one not offering Śrāddha on these days falls into hell.’

Baudhāyana (2.8.1).—‘Offerings to Pitṛs are praiseworthy and conducive to longevity, heaven and prosperity.’

Prajāpati-Smṛti (21).—‘If one performs Śrāddha on the moonless day, with the help of Brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda, his Pitṛs become satisfied and reward him with what he desires.’