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Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 10.72

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 10 · Verse 72

प्रेतश्राद्धविधानम्The preta-śrāddha

Verse 72

प्रेतश्राद्धे विशेषोऽयं गङ्गाद्यर्चां विवर्जयेत् । मृतं समुल्लिखेत् प्रेतं वाक्ये दानेऽन्नपिण्डयोः ॥ ७२ ॥

prētaśrāddhē viśēṣō’yaṁ gaṅgādyarcāṁ vivarjayēt | mṛtaṁ samullikhēt prētaṁ vākyē dānē’nnapiṇḍayōḥ || 72 ||

Translation

In the preta-śrāddha the difference is this: he leaves out the worship of Gaṅgā and the rest, and names the dead as "preta" in the sentence and in the gift of food and piṇḍa.

Word by word

prēta
preta
śrāddhē
in the śrāddha
viśēṣaḥ
(viśeṣaḥ) the difference
ayaṁ
this
gaṅgā
of Gaṅgā
ādi
and the rest
arcāṁ
the worship
vivarjayēt
he leaves out
mṛtaṁ
the dead
samullikhēt
should name
prētaṁ
as preta
vākyē
in the sentence
dānē
in the gift
anna
of food
piṇḍayōḥ
(piṇḍayoḥ) and piṇḍa

Meaning

A preta is one who has died but not yet joined the ancestors; the rites of the first year bring about that passage.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

"Pretaśrāddha" and the rest. In the preta-śrāddha he should leave out (vivarjayet, not do) the worship of Gaṅgā and the rest, and in the sentence of permission and in the giving of food and piṇḍas he should name the dead person as "preta". This is the special feature to be known in the preta-śrāddha.