Shloka 1

Āśauca and Udaka-kriyā: Post-Cremation Conduct, Eligibility, and Purifiers

Devanagari script

नाम पञ्चोत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच / प्रेता (त) शौचं प्रवक्ष्यामि तच्छृणुध्वं यतव्रताः / ऊनद्विवर्षं निखनेन्न कुर्यादु दकं ततः

Transliteration

nāma pañcottaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ yājñavalkya uvāca / pretā (ta) śaucaṃ pravakṣyāmi tacchṛṇudhvaṃ yatavratāḥ / ūnadvivarṣaṃ nikhanenna kuryādu dakaṃ tataḥ

Translation

Yājñavalkya sprach: „Ich werde die Vorschriften ritueller Reinheit in Bezug auf den Verstorbenen darlegen; hört zu, ihr, die ihr in Gelübden gefestigt seid. Ein Kind unter zwei Jahren soll man nicht begraben; und in einem solchen Fall werden die Wasserspenden (udaka) nicht vollzogen.“

Word by Word

• nāma: named/entitled
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/quotative (निपात), used in headings

• pañcottaraśatatamaḥ: the 105th
• pañcottaraśatatamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca + uttara + śata + tama (प्रातिपदिक; numeral/ordinal formation)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ordinal adjective qualifying adhyāyaḥ; 'one hundred and five' (105th)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• yājñavalkyaḥ: Yājñavalkya
• yājñavalkyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yājñavalkya (प्रातिपदिक; proper noun)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्/perfect), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• preta: of the departed (spirit)
• preta: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (intended: pretasya); used as first member in relation to śaucam

• śaucam: purificatory rite/cleanliness
• śaucam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of pravakṣyāmi

• pravakṣyāmi: I shall explain
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्/periphrastic future; simple future sense), 1st Person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of śṛṇudhvaṃ

• śṛṇudhvaṃ: hear (you all)
• śṛṇudhvaṃ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्/imperative), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Plural; ātmanepada

• yatavratāḥ: O restrained-vowed ones
• yatavratāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yata + vrata (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; vocative sense in address; 'restrained in vows'

• ūnadvivarṣam: (one) under two years (old)
• ūnadvivarṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūna + dvi + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective used substantively; 'less than two years (old)'

• nikhanet: should bury
• nikhanet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√khan (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• udakam: water-offering (udaka)
• udakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of kuryāt (understood: udakakriyām)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of sequence/source: 'thereafter/therefrom'

Speaker

Yājñavalkya

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Immediately after death context; specifies non-performance in under-two-years case

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Preta-śauca rules: for a child under two years, burial is not prescribed here and udaka (water-offering) rites are not performed.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as order (niyama) governing liminal transitions; ritual action calibrated to adhikāra (eligibility).

Application: In bereavement, follow age/eligibility-based rites under tradition and local smṛti practice; avoid improvisation that burdens family or violates custom.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: domestic-ritual setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.106 (Preta-śauca and antyeṣṭi procedure)

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of preta-śauca in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces the discipline of purification rules connected with death, framing them as dharmic observances that guide how rites should (or should not) be performed in specific cases.

How does this verse explain the handling of death rites for very young children?

It states that for a child below two years, burial is not prescribed and the usual udaka (water-offering) rites are not performed, indicating a distinct ritual treatment based on age.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow tradition-specific guidance from qualified family priests for age-based rites, and treat post-death observances as disciplined, compassionate duties rather than mere formalities.