Shloka 1

Gayā Śrāddha at Preta-śilā: Universal Piṇḍa-dāna for Ancestors and the Unrescued Dead

Devanagari script

चतुरशीतितमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मोवाच / स्नात्वा प्रेतशिलादौ तु वरुणास्थामृतेन च / पिण्डं दद्यादिमैर्मन्त्रैरावाह्य च पितॄन्परान्

Transliteration

caturaśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmovāca / snātvā pretaśilādau tu varuṇāsthāmṛtena ca / piṇḍaṃ dadyādimairmantrairāvāhya ca pitṝnparān

Translation

Kapitel Fünfundachtzig. Brahmā sprach: Nachdem man an der Preta-śilā gebadet und Wasser verwendet hat, das Varuṇa wie Amṛta geheiligt hat, soll man eine Piṇḍa-Gabe darbringen und die erhabenen Pitṛs mit diesen Mantras herabrufen.

Word by Word

• चतुरशीतितमः: eighty-fourth
• चतुरशीतितमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरशीति (प्रातिपदिक) + तम (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bathed)

• प्रेतशिलादौ: at the preta-stone (memorial stone) etc.
• प्रेतशिलादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतशिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य शिला) + आदौ (locative)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• वरुणास्थामृतेन: with Varuṇa’s water/nectar (consecrated water)
• वरुणास्थामृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुणस्था + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वरुणस्य स्था/स्थानम्) + अमृत (जल/अमृत-रूप)

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

• पिण्डम्: piṇḍa offering
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आदिमैः: with the initial/foremost
• आदिमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying मन्त्रैः)

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• आवाह्य: having invoked
• आवाह्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having invoked)

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

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• परान्: supreme/exalted
• परान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पितॄन्)

Speaker

Brahma

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: After snāna at the tīrtha/Preta-śilā; during prescribed śrāddha tithi

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Proper śrāddha requires purity (snāna), sanctified water, and mantra-guided invocation of pitṛs before offering piṇḍa.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual action (karma) as dharmic duty that supports cosmic order and familial continuity; śraddhā as the inner force that makes karma efficacious.

Application: Perform śrāddha with preparatory bathing, use clean/sanctified water, and recite prescribed mantras while consciously invoking pitṛs rather than offering mechanically.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha/śilā (sacred stone)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.85.2-4 (subsequent āvāhana and lineage-specific piṇḍa intentions).; Garuda Purana śrāddha-vidhi passages describing tilodaka, darbha, and pitṛ-āvāhana.

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Varuna
• Pitris
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of piṇḍa-dāna in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents piṇḍa-dāna as a required offering in rites for the departed, performed after ritual bathing and accompanied by mantras to invoke the Pitṛs, indicating its role in honoring and ritually supporting ancestral beings.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s post-death journey?

By prescribing invocation of the Pitṛs and offering piṇḍas, the verse situates ancestral rites as part of the post-death framework in which the departed is connected to Pitṛ-loka traditions and receives ritual assistance through prescribed ceremonies.

Practical application of this teaching today?

If one follows śrāddha traditions, the takeaway is to perform ancestral offerings with cleanliness, proper sanctified water, and sincere mantra-based remembrance—treating the rite as a disciplined act of gratitude and dharma.