Shloka 6

Vṛṣotsarga as Prerequisite for Śrāddha: Eligibility, Timing, Purification, and the Urgency of Dharma

Devanagari script

किं फलं तु भवेदन्ते कृतैः श्राद्धैस्तु षोडशैः

Transliteration

kiṃ phalaṃ tu bhavedante kṛtaiḥ śrāddhaistu ṣoḍaśaiḥ

Translation

Welches ist denn wahrlich die letzte Frucht, die erlangt wird, wenn die sechzehn Śrāddha-Riten vollzogen sind?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• फलम्: result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषणार्थ (but/indeed)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग (at the end)

• कृतैः: performed
• कृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (श्राद्धैः)

• श्राद्धैः: by śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• षोडशैः: sixteen (in number)
• षोडशैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (श्राद्धैः)

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Refers to completion of the ṣoḍaśa (sixteen) śrāddha sequence (traditionally spanning immediate post-death period culminating in sapīṇḍīkaraṇa/related observances, per school).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmaphala of completing the sixteen śrāddhas—what ‘end result’ accrues for performer and departed.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual karma as a means to order the subtle transition (preta → pitṛ) and to discharge ṛṇa (debts), while remaining within saṃsāra unless joined to higher sādhanā.

Application: Treat the ṣoḍaśa-śrāddha series as a structured program with intended culmination; track observances and ensure completeness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.13.7-2.13.8 (conditions that can nullify śrāddha efficacy); Garuda Purana sections on ekoddiṣṭa, sapīṇḍīkaraṇa, and annual śrāddha phala

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of the sixteen Śrāddhas (Ṣoḍaśa-Śrāddha) in Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the core inquiry: the Garuda Purana treats the sixteen śrāddhas as a structured set of post-death rites whose “phala” (result) is to be explicitly understood—implying they have a definite, describable spiritual effect rather than being merely customary.

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

By asking the “final result” of performing the sixteen śrāddhas, the verse places śrāddha within the after-death journey narrative of the Preta Kanda—where rites and offerings are connected to the preta’s transition and welfare, and to the satisfaction of ancestral beings (Pitṛs).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach śrāddha and related memorial rites with clarity of purpose—seeking understanding of their intended outcome (phala), performing them with sincerity, and aligning them with dharma and remembrance rather than treating them as empty ritual.