Shloka 69

Devanagari script

तिथिपिण्डांश्चरेद्वृद्ध्या शुक्ले शिख्यण्डसंमितान् / एकैकं ह्रासयेत्कृष्णे पिण्डं चान्द्रायणं चरेत्

Transliteration

tithipiṇḍāṃścaredvṛddhyā śukle śikhyaṇḍasaṃmitān / ekaikaṃ hrāsayetkṛṣṇe piṇḍaṃ cāndrāyaṇaṃ caret

Translation

In der hellen Monatshälfte (śukla) soll man die täglichen Piṇḍa-Gaben in zunehmendem Maß darbringen—jede Piṇḍa etwa von der Größe eines Pfauenhennen-Eis. In der dunklen Hälfte (kṛṣṇa) soll man die Gabe Tag für Tag, Stück um Stück, vermindern. So übt man das Cāndrāyaṇa-Gelübde durch die geregelte Piṇḍa-Darbringung.

Word by Word

• तिथि: lunar day (tithi)
• तिथि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — (समासपूर्वपद; ‘of lunar days’)

• पिण्डान्: balls/lumps (of food)
• पिण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — accusative plural

• चरेत्: should perform
• चरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should practice/perform’

• वृद्ध्या: with increase / by increasing
• वृद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• शुक्ले: in the bright half (waxing fortnight)
• शुक्ले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; ‘in the bright fortnight’

• शिख्यण्ड: peacock’s egg
• शिख्यण्ड: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिख्यण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — (समासपूर्वपद; ‘of a peacock’s egg’)

• संमितान्: measured/equal in size
• संमितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मा (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — accusative plural; विशेषण of पिण्डान्

• एकैकम्: one by one
• एकैकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; adverbial use ‘one by one’

• ह्रासयेत्: should reduce / cause to diminish
• ह्रासयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ह्रस् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative)

• कृष्णे: in the dark half (waning fortnight)
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; ‘in the dark fortnight’

• पिण्डम्: a ball/lump (of food)
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• चान्द्रायणम्: Cāndrāyaṇa penance
• चान्द्रायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• चरेत्: should perform
• चरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa, Vinatā-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Timing: Aligned to śukla and kṛṣṇa pakṣa tithis across a lunar month (Cāndrāyaṇa pattern).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cāndrāyaṇa: regulated intake/offering synchronized with waxing and waning moon to purify and atone.

Vedantic Theme: R̥ta (cosmic order) reflected in personal conduct; mind becomes sattvic through measured living.

Application: Use cyclical self-regulation (increase/decrease) to train desire; keep measures consistent (egg-sized standard) and follow lunar calendar precisely.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.105.70-71 (completion and mantra/bath details)

FAQs

What is the importance of Cāndrāyaṇa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Cāndrāyaṇa as a disciplined, lunar-based observance where the offering/measure is regulated across the fortnight—an expiatory and purificatory practice aligned with dharma.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana death rituals like piṇḍa-dāna?

It uses the technical language of piṇḍa (ritual rice-ball offering) and ties it to a vow-pattern (Cāndrāyaṇa), showing that piṇḍa can function not only in śrāddha contexts but also as a regulated prāyaścitta-style observance.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow ritual disciplines under competent guidance: align religious observances with lunar timing, practice moderation and consistency, and treat vows as structured ethical-spiritual training rather than mere formality.