Shloka 40

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

एकादशाहे प्रेतस्य यस्यात्सृज्येत नो वृषः / प्रेतत्वं सुस्थिरं तस्य दत्तैः श्राद्धशतैरपि

Transliteration

ekādaśāhe pretasya yasyātsṛjyeta no vṛṣaḥ / pretatvaṃ susthiraṃ tasya dattaiḥ śrāddhaśatairapi

Translation

إن لم يُؤدَّ في اليوم الحادي عشر طقس «فْرِشا» (vṛṣa، أي vṛṣotsarga) للـ«بريتا» (روح الميت)، ثبتت عليه حالة البريتا ثبوتًا شديدًا، حتى إن مئات الشرادها التي تُقدَّم بعد ذلك لا ترفعها بسهولة.

Word by Word

• एकादशाहे: on the eleventh day
• एकादशाहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (एकादश + अह)

• प्रेतस्य: of the departed spirit (preta)
• प्रेतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोगः (relative)

• आत्: from that/therefore
• आत्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/अपादानार्थक (from/therefore)

• सृज्येत: would be released/let go
• सृज्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive: 'would be released')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• वृषः: a bull
• वृषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुस्थिरम्: very firm, enduring
• सुस्थिरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुस्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• तस्य: of him/that one
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दत्तैः: by (things) given
• दत्तैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करणार्थे ('by means of what is given')

• श्राद्धशतैः: by hundreds of śrāddhas
• श्राद्धशतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्राद्धानां शतानि)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Concessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

Speaker

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

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Ekādaśāha (11th day)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Omission of a key rite (vṛṣotsarga on ekādaśāha) produces durable adverse post-death consequences; later compensations may not easily reverse it.

Vedantic Theme: Karma’s time-sensitivity (kāla-viśeṣa) and the binding force of saṃskāra; certain liminal windows are pivotal for transition and purification.

Application: Treat time-bound death rites as non-negotiable; prioritize essential steps (especially those prescribed for specific days) over optional elaborations.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.5.39-41 (vṛṣotsarga necessity and consequences); Garuda Purana, Preta-kalpa: preta-lakṣaṇa and śrāddha-phala passages (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Śrāddha
• Vṛṣa (rite)

FAQs

What is the importance of the eleventh-day rite in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that missing the prescribed eleventh-day observance (including the vṛṣa-related rite) can solidify the departed’s preta-condition, making later remedial śrāddhas far less effective.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It implies an interim ‘preta’ phase where proper rites help transition the departed onward; neglect of key rites can cause the being to remain stuck in the preta-state rather than progressing in the post-death journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Ensure time-sensitive post-death rites (especially around the eleventh day) are performed carefully and on schedule under competent guidance, emphasizing duty, gratitude to ancestors, and disciplined ritual observance.