वृद्धिश्राद्धे व्यवस्थाThe rule of the vṛddhi-śrāddha
Verse 1
श्रीदेव्युवाच । कुशण्डिकाविधिर्नाथ संस्काराश्च दश श्रुताः । वृद्धिश्राद्धविधिं देव कृपया मे प्रकाशय ॥ १ ॥
śrīdēvyuvāca | kuśaṇḍikāvidhirnātha saṁskārāśca daśa śrutāḥ | vṛddhiśrāddhavidhiṁ dēva kṛpayā mē prakāśaya || 1 ||
Translation
Śrī Devī said: Lord, I have heard the procedure of the kuśaṇḍikā and the ten sacraments. Now, O God, kindly make clear to me the procedure of the vṛddhi-śrāddha.
Word by word
- kuśaṇḍikā
- of the kuśaṇḍikā
- vidhiḥ
- (vidhiḥ) the procedure
- nātha
- O Lord
- saṁskārāḥ
- (saṁskārāḥ) the sacraments
- ca
- and
- daśa
- ten
- śrutāḥ
- (śrutāḥ) have been heard
- vṛddhi
- of increase
- śrāddha
- of the śrāddha
- vidhiṁ
- the procedure
- dēva
- O God
- kṛpayā
- kindly
- mē
- to me
- prakāśaya
- make clear
Meaning
The tenth chapter opens with a new question. The vṛddhi-śrāddha, also called ābhyudayika or nāndīmukha śrāddha, is the "śrāddha of increase": an offering to the ancestors made before every joyful family rite, so that they share in its prosperity and bless it. The ninth chapter told the householder to perform it at each sacrament; here Pārvatī asks how it is done. The chapter then moves to the rites for the dead and ends with the pūrṇābhiṣeka, the "full consecration" of the Kaula. What the Tantra prescribes here is its own teaching, given as the text presents it; taking up any practice is a matter for one's tradition and teacher.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
Oṁ, salutation to Brahman. Having heard the procedure of the kuśaṇḍikā and of the ten saṁskāras from jīvaseka to marriage, and now wishing to hear the procedure of the vṛddhi-śrāddha, and also in which rite the kuśaṇḍikā and the vṛddhi-śrāddha are to be done or not to be done, Śrī Devī said, "kuśaṇḍikāvidhiḥ" and the rest. Ācakṣva: tell.