Shloka 45

Garuḍa’s Return to Vaikuṇṭha and the Comprehensive Inquiry into Death-Rites and the Preta’s Journey

Devanagari script

त्रयोदशे ऽह्नि देयं स्यात्पददानं किमर्थकम् / श्राद्धानि षोडशैतानि अब्दं यावत्कुतो घटः

Transliteration

trayodaśe 'hni deyaṃ syātpadadānaṃ kimarthakam / śrāddhāni ṣoḍaśaitāni abdaṃ yāvatkuto ghaṭaḥ

Translation

Am dreizehnten Tag soll die Gabe namens „Padadāna“ (Gabe der Füße) dargebracht werden — wozu dient sie? Und wenn diese sechzehn Śrāddha-Riten bis zur Vollendung eines Jahres zu vollziehen sind, woher soll man so viel Wasser in einem Krug für die Riten nehmen?

Word by Word

• त्रयोदशे: on the thirteenth (day)
• त्रयोदशे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (त्रयः+दश) — ‘तेरहवें (दिन) में’

• अह्नि: on the day
• अह्नि: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• देयम्: to be given
• देयम्: कर्म/विधेय (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive/भाव्य) — नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दातव्यम्/देयम्’

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पददानम्: the giving of a foot-measure/step (offering)
• पददानम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पदस्य दानम्)

• किमर्थकम्: for what purpose?
• किमर्थकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — ‘कस्य अर्थः?’ = ‘किमर्थम्’

• श्राद्धानि: śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धानि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; (श्राद्धानि इति) नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे प्रयोगः

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• अब्दम्: a year
• अब्दम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यावत्: up to; as long as
• यावत्: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक (until/as long as)

• कुतः: from where? how?
• कुतः: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: whence/how)

• घटः: a pot; (here) a pot-measure offering
• घटः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra), questioning Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: 13th day (trayodaśāha) and continuing through the first year with sixteen śrāddhas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual obligations after death (padadāna and the sequence of sixteen śrāddhas) must be understood in purpose and feasibility.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as supportive discipline (saṃskāra) for the departed and the living; dharma as ordered response to impermanence.

Application: Plan the śrāddha schedule and resources; seek guidance on padadāna’s intent rather than performing mechanically.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Pretakalpa: discussions of ekoddiṣṭa/ṣoḍaśa-śrāddha sequence and preta-tṛpti through anna-udaka offerings; Garuda Purana: padadāna/vastra-dāna/śayyā-dāna style gifts for the preta’s journey

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu
• Pitris
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of padadāna on the 13th day in the Garuda Purana?

This verse flags padadāna as a distinct, prescribed 13th-day offering and asks its purpose—indicating it is a specific rite meant to support the departed’s post-death passage and ritual completeness.

How does this verse explain the sequence of śrāddha rites for the departed?

It references a structured set of “sixteen śrāddhas” extending up to a year, showing that the Garuda Purana presents post-death care as a staged ritual program rather than a single-day act.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat bereavement rites as a planned sequence (13th-day observances and periodic śrāddha through the year), performed with sincerity and capacity—prioritizing essential duties while seeking competent guidance for tradition-specific details.