Shloka 3

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

ते प्रविश्य गृहं सर्वे सुताद्याश्च सपिण्डकाः / भवेयुर्दशरात्रं वै यत आशौचकं खग

Transliteration

te praviśya gṛhaṃ sarve sutādyāśca sapiṇḍakāḥ / bhaveyurdaśarātraṃ vai yata āśaucakaṃ khaga

Translation

يا أيها الطائر (غارودا)، حين يدخل جميع الأبناء وسائر الأقارب القريبين من السَّپِندَة (sapinda) إلى البيت، تلحقهم الآشَوْچَة (āśauca)، أي النجاسة الطقسية، مدةَ عشر ليالٍ؛ فذلك هو الحكم.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) → प्रविश्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त; क्त्वा/ल्यप् (gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• गृहम्: the house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• सुताद्याः: sons and others
• सुताद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सपिण्डकाः: sapinda relatives (of the same funeral cake lineage)
• सपिण्डकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + पिण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• भवेयुः: should be / would be
• भवेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• दशरात्रम्: ten nights (ten-day period)
• दशरात्रम्: Karma (Extent/परिमाण-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); कालपरिमाण (duration)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खलु-अर्थ (emphatic particle)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ (causal: 'because/for which reason')

• आशौचकम्: impurity (mourning impurity)
• आशौचकम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-शुच् (धातु) → आशौचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• खग: O Khaga (O bird)
• खग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Daśarātra (ten nights) śauca period following death

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Āśauca is a dharmic, kin-based obligation; sapinda relations entail shared ritual consequence and shared purification timeline.

Vedantic Theme: Interdependence (saṃbandha) in karma and saṃskāra; social dharma structures the embodied journey through life’s transitions.

Application: Observe the prescribed ten-night impurity period for close kin after a death; coordinate household conduct, diet, and ritual restrictions accordingly.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: domestic space entered by sapinda kin

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: śauca duration rules for kin categories (contextual continuation of the same section)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Sapindas

FAQs

What is the importance of āśauca (ritual impurity) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that close kin (sapindas), such as sons and family members, observe ten nights of āśauca after entering the bereaved house, marking a dharmic period of ritual restriction following death.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death?

In the Preta Kanda context, the ten-night āśauca period aligns with the immediate post-death transition when the household follows prescribed restraints and rites that support orderly śrāddha-related observances for the departed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It emphasizes disciplined observance after a death—maintaining ritual boundaries, following family/ācāra-based mourning rules, and performing the appropriate rites with sincerity and restraint.