Shloka 30
Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna
Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings
मृस्योत्क्रान्तिसमयात्षट् पिण्डान्क्रमशो ददेत् / मृतस्थाने तथा द्वारे चत्वरे तार्क्ष्य कारणात्
mṛsyotkrāntisamayātṣaṭ piṇḍānkramaśo dadet / mṛtasthāne tathā dvāre catvare tārkṣya kāraṇāt
উৎক্রান্তি (মৃত্যু) সময়ৰ পৰা ক্ৰমে ছয়টা পিণ্ড দান কৰিব লাগে—মৃতস্থানত, দুৱাৰত, আৰু চত্বৰত; হে তাৰ্ক্ষ্য (গৰুড়), বিধি-কাৰণত।
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Tārkṣya)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Ritual Type: Ekoddishta
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: From the moment of death; six piṇḍas given sequentially at death-place, doorway, and crossroads (and implied additional stations per sequence).
Concept: Piṇḍa offerings must be given in a prescribed sequence from the moment of death, at specific liminal locations, for a defined ritual purpose.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as niyama (ordered practice) that harmonizes the seen and unseen; saṃskāra as shaping subtle outcomes beyond immediate perception.
Application: Follow the sequence and locations for piṇḍa-dāna carefully; treat rites as intentional acts of support rather than mere formality.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: ritual stations along the liminal boundary of the home/community
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: piṇḍa-dāna sequences and stations (death-place, doorway, crossroads) within preta-ritual manuals; Garuda Purana: rationale that offerings provide sustenance/aid to the preta during transition
FAQs
This verse prescribes prompt, sequential piṇḍa offerings from the moment of death, indicating a ritual duty meant to support and properly transition the departed in the preta-stage.
The verse specifies these liminal locations—where death occurred, the threshold, and the crossroads—reflecting key points of passage in the departure journey and the rite’s prescribed order.
Follow family or tradition-approved antyeṣṭi guidance with care and sequence; even when simplified, maintain sincerity, orderliness, and respect for prescribed funeral observances.