आत्मश्राद्धक्रियाThe śrāddha of oneself
Verse 240
पिता ह्यात्मैव सर्वेषां तत्पिता प्रपितामहः । आत्मन्यात्मार्पणार्थाय कुर्यादात्मक्रियां सुधीः ॥ २४० ॥
pitā hyātmaiva sarvēṣāṁ tatpitā prapitāmahaḥ | ātmanyātmārpaṇārthāya kuryādātmakriyāṁ sudhīḥ || 240 ||
Translation
For the Self alone is the father of all; its father is the great-grandfather. To offer the self into the Self, the wise man should perform the rite for himself.
Word by word
- pitā
- the father
- hi
- for
- ātmā
- (ātmā) the Self
- ēva
- alone
- sarvēṣāṁ
- of all
- tat
- its
- prapitāmahaḥ
- the great-grandfather
- ātmani
- (ātmani) into the Self
- ātma
- the self
- arpaṇa
- to offer
- arthāya
- for the purpose
- kuryād
- (kuryāt) should perform
- kriyāṁ
- the rite
- sudhīḥ
- the wise man
Meaning
The commentary gives the reasoning: the Self (ātman) is the true father of all; its "father" and "grandfather" are only names within it. So the śrāddha for oneself is in truth "ātmani ātmārpaṇa", offering the individual self into the supreme Self. The funeral rite becomes a rite of non-duality.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
Showing the reason for performing the śrāddha of oneself, he says "pitā hi…" and the rest. Hi: because. The Self alone is the father of all; its father is the grandfather, and the great-grandfather too. Therefore, in order to offer the self into the Self, the supreme Self, the wise man, the knower, should perform the rite for himself (ātmakriyā).