Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 35

Sapindīkaraṇa: Timing, Eligibility, Gotra Rules, and Yearlong Śrāddha

with Vṛṣotsarga and Ghaṭa-dāna

Devanagari script

अन्नं पानीयसहितं संख्यां कृत्वाब्दिकस्य च / दातव्यं ब्राह्मणे पक्षिञ्जलपूर्णघटादिकम्

Transliteration

annaṃ pānīyasahitaṃ saṃkhyāṃ kṛtvābdikasya ca / dātavyaṃ brāhmaṇe pakṣiñjalapūrṇaghaṭādikam

Translation

مع ماء الشرب يُرتَّب الطعام بالعدد المقرر لطقس الذكرى السنوية (ābdika)، وتُعطى صدقةً لبرهمن (Brāhmaṇa) أشياءٌ مثل إناءٍ مملوءٍ بالماء (ghaṭa) وما يتصل به من قرابين.

Word by Word

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पानीयसहितम्: together with water
• पानीयसहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पानीय + सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adjective qualifying अन्नम्

• संख्याम्: the number/count
• संख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made/determined
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे क्त्वान्त (gerund); 'having done'

• आब्दिकस्य: of the annual (rite)
• आब्दिकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आब्दिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriya (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्) → दातव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Gerundive: 'to be given' (impersonal injunction)

• ब्राह्मणे: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Masculine, Dative, Singular

• पक्षिञ्जलपूर्णघटादिकम्: a bird (offering) with handfuls, a full pot, etc. (items)
• पक्षिञ्जलपूर्णघटादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि + अञ्जलि + पूर्ण + घट + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; वस्तु-समाहार (collection)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Annual rite (ābdika/abda-śrāddha) with prescribed counts.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Proper measure and completeness in annual śrāddha: anna with water, counted correctly, and accompanied by dāna (ghaṭa etc.) to a brāhmaṇa.

Vedantic Theme: Niṣkāma-dāna as a purifier of intention; ritual exactness as an aid to sattva and social-sacral harmony.

Application: For abda-śrāddha, prepare food with drinking water, ensure the prescribed number/portions, and give appropriate gifts (water-pot, etc.) to a qualified brāhmaṇa.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.26 context on abda-śrāddha counts and dāna items (ghaṭa, pātra, vastra)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmana

FAQs

What is the importance of offering food and water in the Garuda Purana’s annual śrāddha?

This verse emphasizes that the yearly rite should include properly counted offerings of food along with drinking-water, indicating completeness and ritual correctness in supporting the departed through śrāddha.

Why does the verse mention donating a water-filled pot (pūrṇa-ghaṭa) to a Brāhmaṇa?

It presents dāna as an integral part of the annual rite: gifting essentials like a full water-pot to a qualified Brāhmaṇa is framed as a prescribed act that accompanies the food-and-water offering.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When observing memorial rites, prioritize basic, sattvic essentials—food and clean water—and pair the ritual with sincere charity (dāna), ideally directed toward learned or service-oriented recipients.