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॥ श्री ॥tantraFor reading

Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 10.94

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 10 · Verse 94

आद्यश्राद्धविधिःThe rule of the first śrāddha

Verse 94

आद्यैकोद्दिष्टमेतत्तु प्रेतत्वान्मुक्तिकारणम् । वर्षे वर्षे मृततिथौ दद्यादन्नं गतासवे ॥ ९४ ॥

ādyaikōddiṣṭamētattu prētatvānmuktikāraṇam | varṣē varṣē mṛtatithau dadyādannaṁ gatāsavē || 94 ||

Translation

This first ekoddiṣṭa is the means of release from pretahood. Year by year, on the lunar day of the death, he should give food to the departed.

Word by word

ādya
first
ēkōddiṣṭam
(ekoddiṣṭam) ekoddiṣṭa
ētat
(etat) this
tu
indeed
prētatvāt
(pretatvāt) from pretahood
mukti
of release
kāraṇam
(kāraṇam) the means
varṣē
year
mṛta
of the death
tithau
on the lunar day
dadyāt
(dadyāt) should give
annaṁ
food
gatāsavē
to the departed

Meaning

After this first rite the dead is no longer named preta; the yearly śrāddha (vātsarika) follows on the anniversary.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

"Ādya" and the rest. This first ekoddiṣṭa is the cause of the dead person's release from the state of a preta. From then on, in the ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha done year by year on the lunar day of the death, one should not name the dead as "preta": that is to be understood. Gatāsave: to the one whose breath has departed.