Shloka 7
Tarpaṇa-vidhi (Rite of Water-libations) for Devas and Pitṛs
प्रपितामहस्याञ्जलिदानम् / ॐ नमो वः पितरो रसाय नमो वः पितरः शुष्माय नमो वः पितरो जीवाय नमो वः पितरः स्वधायै नमो वः पितरो घोराय नमो वः पितरो मन्यवे / नमो वः पितरो गृहान्न पितरो दत्तः / नमो वः पितरो दध्मे तद्वः पितरो वासः / मातामहानां त्रिरञ्जलिदृ / ततो मात्रादीनान्दृ
prapitāmahasyāñjalidānam / oṃ namo vaḥ pitaro rasāya namo vaḥ pitaraḥ śuṣmāya namo vaḥ pitaro jīvāya namo vaḥ pitaraḥ svadhāyai namo vaḥ pitaro ghorāya namo vaḥ pitaro manyave / namo vaḥ pitaro gṛhānna pitaro dattaḥ / namo vaḥ pitaro dadhme tadvaḥ pitaro vāsaḥ / mātāmahānāṃ trirañjalidṛ / tato mātrādīnāndṛ
Wasseropfer mit gefalteten Händen für die Urgroßväter: „Om, Ehrerbietung euch, o Väter – dem Rasa (Lebensessenz); Ehrerbietung euch, o Väter – der Kraft; Ehrerbietung euch, o Väter – dem Leben; Ehrerbietung euch, o Väter – der Svadha (Ahnenopfergabe); Ehrerbietung euch, o Väter – dem Ehrfurchtgebietenden; Ehrerbietung euch, o Väter – dem gerechten Zorn. Ehrerbietung euch, o Väter – möge der Haushalt (und seine Speisen) nicht verringert werden; o Väter, möge das Gegebene angenommen werden.“
Lord Vishnu instructing Garuda (Vinata-putra) on pitṛ-tarpaṇa/śrāddha procedure
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitamaha/Prapitāmaha (and maternal ancestors thereafter)
Timing: During śrāddha/tarpaṇa sequence; also applicable on amāvāsyā or pitṛ-kāla per gṛhya custom
Concept: Pitṛ-tarpaṇa as a sustaining duty that preserves lineage, household prosperity, and reciprocal obligation between living and ancestors.
Vedantic Theme: ṛṇa-traya (especially pitṛ-ṛṇa) and yajña as purifier/support of social-cosmic order; subtle continuity of saṃskāra across generations.
Application: Perform añjali-dāna/tarpaṇa with mantras; include paternal and maternal lines; frame offerings as both gratitude and protection of household welfare.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: ritual space (gṛhya) with water-offering locus
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Śrāddha-kalpa sections on tarpaṇa and pitṛ-invocation (adjacent adhyāyas 215–216 context)
FAQs
This verse frames tarpaṇa as a direct act of nourishment and honoring of the Pitṛs through svadhā-based salutations, linking ancestral satisfaction with the well-being of the household and the orderly continuation of dharma.
While not describing the post-mortem journey directly, it shows the Garuda Purana’s ritual logic: offerings to Pitṛs support the departed’s ancestral integration and maintain auspicious conditions for descendants, which the text treats as part of the broader after-death framework of rites.
Perform tarpaṇa/śrāddha with mindful gratitude—include both paternal and maternal lineages, recite the pitṛ salutations with clarity, and treat charity/offerings as sacred duties that sustain family harmony and ethical continuity.