आत्मश्राद्धक्रियाThe śrāddha of oneself
Verse 242
प्रागग्रान् दक्षिणाग्रांश्च पश्चिमाग्रान् यथाक्रमात् । पिण्डार्थमास्तरेद्दर्भानुदगग्रान् स्वकर्मणि ॥ २४२ ॥
prāgagrān dakṣiṇāgrāṁśca paścimāgrān yathākramāt | piṇḍārthamāstarēddarbhānudagagrān svakarmaṇi || 242 ||
Translation
For the piṇḍas he should spread darbha grass with tips to the east, to the south and to the west, in order; and in his own rite with tips to the north.
Word by word
- prāg
- (prāk) to the east
- agrān
- with tips
- dakṣiṇa
- to the south
- agrāṁś
- (agrān) with tips
- ca
- and
- paścima
- to the west
- yathākramāt
- in order
- piṇḍa
- the piṇḍas
- artham
- (artham) for
- āstarēd
- (āstaret) he should spread
- darbhān
- (darbhān) darbha grass
- udag
- (udak) to the north
- sva
- his own
- karmaṇi
- in rite
Meaning
The commentary explains: for the piṇḍas of gods and sages, ancestors and maternal ancestors, the darbha (kuśa) grass points east, south and west respectively; for his own śrāddha, north. North is the direction of liberation, the path of the gods. The commentary reads verses 242 and 243 together.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Prāgagrān…". For the piṇḍas, that is, for giving the piṇḍas meant for the gods, the sages and the ancestors, he should spread darbha grass, kuśa, in order: blades whose tips point east (prāk, the eastern quarter), blades whose tips point south, and blades whose tips point west. But in his own rite, the rite of his own śrāddha, he should spread blades whose tips point north (udak, the northern quarter). (This explanation covers verses 242 and 243.)