Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

अन्तरा जन्ममरणे शेषाहोभिर्विशुध्यति / दश द्वादश वर्णानां तथा पञ्चदशैव च

Transliteration

antarā janmamaraṇe śeṣāhobhirviśudhyati / daśa dvādaśa varṇānāṃ tathā pañcadaśaiva ca

Translation

Zwischen Tod und neuer Geburt wird das Wesen durch die verbleibenden Tage (seiner ihm bestimmten Frist) gereinigt. Dies gilt für zehn, zwölf und ebenso für fünfzehn Klassen (von Wesen/Zuständen).

Word by Word

• अन्तरा: in between/during
• अन्तरा: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-योगे (with locative) ‘between/during’

• जन्ममरणे: in birth and death (events)
• जन्ममरणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (जन्म च मरणं च)

• शेषाहोभिः: by the remaining days
• शेषाहोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (शेषाः अहाः)

• विशुध्यति: becomes purified
• विशुध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-शब्दः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-शब्दः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral)

• वर्णानाम्: of the varṇas/classes
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक (thus/likewise)

• पञ्चदश: fifteen
• पञ्चदश: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-शब्दः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

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

Speaker

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

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Between death and a new birth, purification occurs through the remaining days of a destined term; the rule is stated as applying across multiple classes/conditions (ten, twelve, fifteen).

Vedantic Theme: Karma governs embodiment and transitions; temporal measures regulate ritual and metaphysical liminality without asserting ultimate reality of the transient.

Application: When calculating impurity/purification in complex cases (interrupted terms, special categories), apply the ‘remaining days’ principle as the text’s harmonizing rule.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: liminal interval

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.106 (continuation of āśauca computations and category-based rules)

FAQs

What is the importance of the ‘in-between’ (antarā) state in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that the interval between death and the next birth is not random; it is a phase where purification occurs according to the remaining allotted term (śeṣa-ahas), reflecting karmic order.

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

It implies a structured transition: after death, the being undergoes a purifying interval governed by remaining karmic time before entering the next embodiment.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with awareness of karmic continuity—ethical conduct, remembrance of dharma, and appropriate śrāddha/ancestral rites are understood as supportive of an orderly post-death transition.