Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 169

Dāna as Prāyaścitta; Deathbed Gifts; Antyeṣṭi Procedures; Nārāyaṇa-bali for Untimely Deaths

Devanagari script

आयाति तेन कर्तव्यं मज्जनं घृकुण्डके / जातकर्मादिसंस्काराः कर्तव्याः पुनरेव तु

Transliteration

āyāti tena kartavyaṃ majjanaṃ ghṛkuṇḍake / jātakarmādisaṃskārāḥ kartavyāḥ punareva tu

Translation

عندما يعود (يرجع)، يجب أن يغتسل في حوض السمن (Ghṛkuṇḍa). ثم يجب أداء الأسرار المقدسة التي تبدأ بطقوس الولادة (jātakarma) مرة أخرى.

Word by Word

• आयाति: comes/returns
• आयाति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेन: therefore/by that (reason)
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• मज्जनम्: bathing/immersion
• मज्जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• घृकुण्डके: in/at the ghṛkuṇḍaka (a specified water-spot/pool)
• घृकुण्डके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृकुण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जातकर्मादिसंस्काराः: rites such as the birth-rite (jātakarma)
• जातकर्मादिसंस्काराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातकर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः: जातकर्म-आदि- (तत्पुरुष/समाहार) + संस्काराः = 'जातकर्मादयः संस्काराः'

• कर्तव्याः: are to be performed
• कर्तव्याः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण (to be performed)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: again)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• तु: but/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयबोधक (adversative/contrast particle)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When a person returns after being treated as dead, purification and re-performance of key saṃskāras restore eligibility and social-ritual status.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃskāra as shaping of adhikāra (eligibility) within dharma; ritual identity can be re-established after rupture.

Application: On return, perform prescribed bath at Ghṛkuṇḍa; then redo jātakarma and subsequent saṃskāras as required by local dharma-nibandha tradition.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: purificatory basin/tank (ritual bathing place)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: pratikṛti-dāha and subsequent expiatory/purificatory measures if the person returns; Garuda Purana: saṃskāra listings (jātakarma etc.) in dharma sections

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of Ghṛkuṇḍa bathing in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Ghṛkuṇḍa-bathing as a prescribed purification step—an act that ritually restores eligibility for subsequent saṃskāras when a return or re-entry into normal ritual status is indicated.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana narrative?

Within the Preta Kanda’s ritual framework, it implies that transitions between states (impure/liminal to restored) require specific purificatory actions, after which life-cycle sacraments (saṃskāras) may be (re)validated through performance.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It highlights a dharmic principle: after a major liminal event, restoration is done through prescribed purification and disciplined observance of rites—encouraging careful, tradition-aligned ritual practice under qualified guidance.