Shloka 31

Śrāddha Vidhi (Pārvaṇa-Śrāddha): Invitations, Arghya, Protective Rites, Piṇḍa Offering, Dakṣiṇā, and Visarjana

Devanagari script

अधोमुखः पिण्डपात्राणि चालयित्वा आचम्य दक्षिणोपवीती पूर्वाभिमुखः ॐ अमुकगोत्राय अमुकदेवशर्मणे ब्राह्मणाय सपत्नीकाय श्राद्धप्रतिष्ठार्थदक्षिणामेतद्रजतं तुभ्यमहं सम्प्रददे इति दक्षिणां दद्यात् / इति देवूब्राह्मणाय दक्षिणादानम्

Transliteration

adhomukhaḥ piṇḍapātrāṇi cālayitvā ācamya dakṣiṇopavītī pūrvābhimukhaḥ oṃ amukagotrāya amukadevaśarmaṇe brāhmaṇāya sapatnīkāya śrāddhapratiṣṭhārthadakṣiṇāmetadrajataṃ tubhyamahaṃ sampradade iti dakṣiṇāṃ dadyāt / iti devūbrāhmaṇāya dakṣiṇādānam

Translation

وهو مطأطئ الوجه، بعد أن يُحرِّك برفق أوعية البِنْدَة، ثم يتطهّر بآچَمَنَة (ācamana)، يلبس الخيط المقدّس على هيئة دَكْشِنُوپَڤِيتَة (dakṣiṇopavīta) على الكتف الأيمن، ويستقبل الشرق. ثم يقول: «أوم—إلى البراهمن المسمّى أموكا دِڤَشَرْمَن (Amuka Devaśarman) من غوترا كذا، مع زوجته: كدَكْشِنَا (dakṣiṇā) لتثبيت هذا الشْرَادْدْهَ (śrāddha)، أُسلِّم إليك هذه الفِضّة»، ثم يعطي الدكشنا. وهكذا يكون إعطاء الدكشنا للبراهمن في طقس الشْرَادْدْهَ.

Word by Word

• adho-mukhaḥ: facing downward
• adho-mukhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier of performer)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; karmadhāraya: ‘face downward’

• piṇḍa-pātrāṇi: piṇḍa-vessels
• piṇḍa-pātrāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Plural; ‘vessels for piṇḍa’

• cālayitvā: having moved
• cālayitvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cal (चल् धातु) [causative]
• Form: Causative gerund (णिच् + क्त्वा); ‘having moved/shaken’

• ācamya: having performed ācamana
• ācamya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā+cam (चम् धातु)
• Form: Gerund (ल्यप्); ‘having sipped (water)’

• dakṣiṇa-upavītī: with upavīta on the right (prācīnāvīta)
• dakṣiṇa-upavītī: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + upavītin (उपवीतिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; ‘wearing the sacred thread over the right shoulder’

• pūrva-abhimukhaḥ: facing east
• pūrva-abhimukhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + abhimukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; ‘facing east’

• oṃ: Om
• oṃ: Mantra-marker (मन्त्रचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (ॐ अव्यय)
• Form: Pranava

• amuka-gotrāya: to (the one) of such-and-such lineage
• amuka-gotrāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amuka (प्रातिपदिक) + gotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Dative Singular; ‘to (one) of such-and-such gotra’

• amuka-deva-śarmaṇe: to …devaśarman
• amuka-deva-śarmaṇe: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amuka (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + śarman (शर्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative Singular; ‘to …devaśarman (named person)’

• brāhmaṇāya: to the brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative Singular

• sapatnīkāya: along with his wife
• sapatnīkāya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of brāhmaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-patnīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative Singular; ‘together with (his) wife’

• śrāddha-pratiṣṭhā-artha-dakṣiṇām: the fee for establishing the śrāddha
• śrāddha-pratiṣṭhā-artha-dakṣiṇām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक) + pratiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative Singular; multi-tatpuruṣa: ‘dakṣiṇā for the purpose of establishing the śrāddha’

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; demonstrative qualifying rajatam

• rajatam: silver
• rajatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (त्वद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative Singular

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative Singular

• sampradade: I give/hand over
• sampradade: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+pra+dā (दा धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person, Singular; ‘I hand over/give’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle

• dakṣiṇām: fee/gift
• dakṣiṇām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative Singular

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular; ‘should give’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Concluding particle

• devū-brāhmaṇāya: to the brāhmaṇa (as deity-representative)
• devū-brāhmaṇāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devū/deva (प्रातिपदिक) + brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative Singular; ‘to the deva-brāhmaṇa’ (reading devū as deva- per context)

• dakṣiṇā-dānam: the giving of the fee
• dakṣiṇā-dānam: Karma (कर्म) / section-title
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative Singular; ‘giving of dakṣiṇā’

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: After piṇḍa handling and ācamana; during concluding honorarium phase of śrāddha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dakṣiṇā as an essential limb (aṅga) of śrāddha that ‘establishes’ (pratiṣṭhā) the rite; purity through ācamana and correct upavīta.

Vedantic Theme: karma-kāṇḍa as saṃskāra: intention (saṅkalpa) embodied in disciplined action; giving (dāna) reduces possessiveness (mamatā).

Application: After handling piṇḍa vessels, perform ācamana, wear dakṣiṇopavīta, face east, and give the specified dakṣiṇā (here, silver) with clear identification of recipient (gotra, name) and purpose (śrāddha-pratiṣṭhā).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: ritual seat/altar area within home or tīrtha setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.218: dakṣiṇā-vidhi and brāhmaṇa-sammāna in śrāddha

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Yajamāna (ritual performer)
• Patnī (wife of the Brāhmaṇa)
• Piṇḍa (offering)

FAQs

What is the importance of dakṣiṇā in the Garuḍa Purāṇa’s śrāddha rites?

This verse treats dakṣiṇā as a formal act that ‘establishes’ (pratiṣṭhā) the śrāddha—by respectfully compensating the Brāhmaṇa recipient, the rite is completed with proper honor and ritual closure.

How does this verse relate to Garuḍa Purāṇa death rituals like piṇḍa-dāna?

It places dakṣiṇā immediately after handling the piṇḍa vessels and performing purification (ācamana), showing that offerings to ancestors are paired with honoring the living ritual recipient who represents sacred authority in the śrāddha context.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform ancestral rites with cleanliness, correct posture/intention, and ethical giving—offer an appropriate gift or donation respectfully, acknowledging the service and sanctity of the ritual rather than treating it as a mere transaction.