Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 72

Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna

Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings

Devanagari script

देहं प्राप्तः क्षुधाविष्टो गृहे द्वारे च तिष्ठति / दशमे ऽहनि यः पिण्डस्तं दद्यादामिषेण तु

Transliteration

dehaṃ prāptaḥ kṣudhāviṣṭo gṛhe dvāre ca tiṣṭhati / daśame 'hani yaḥ piṇḍastaṃ dadyādāmiṣeṇa tu

Translation

Nachdem er einen feinstofflichen Leib erlangt hat und vom Hunger gequält wird, steht er am Eingang seines Hauses. Darum soll die am zehnten Tag dargebrachte piṇḍa zusammen mit āmiṣa, also mit Fleisch als Opfergabe, gegeben werden.

Word by Word

• देहम्: the body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having reached / having obtained
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षुधा: by hunger
• क्षुधा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/तृतीया), एकवचन

• आविष्टः: afflicted/possessed
• आविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• द्वारे: at the door
• द्वारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case/सप्तमी), एकवचन

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

• तिष्ठति: stands / remains
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दशमे: on the tenth (day)
• दशमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक

• अहनि: on the day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• यः: which/that (who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• पिण्डः: rice-ball offering (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तम्: that (piṇḍa)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative)

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आमिषेण: with meat
• आमिषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Daśame ahani (10th day)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The departed, possessing a subtle body, remains near the home and is relieved through correctly timed offerings.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and saṃskāra-driven obligations of the living toward the departed (ṛṇa to pitṛs).

Application: Perform the tenth-day piṇḍa with the specified upacāra (here, āmiṣa) according to one’s tradition/adhikāra and local śrāddha rules.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: household threshold

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta lingering near home; tenth-day hunger and piṇḍa efficacy (2.15.71–75)

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Pinda

FAQs

What is the importance of the tenth-day piṇḍa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links the tenth-day piṇḍa to relieving the departed, who is described as standing hungry at the home’s doorway; the offering is prescribed as a direct support to the preta’s condition.

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

It portrays an intermediate preta-state in which the departed has obtained a post-death body and experiences intense hunger, lingering near the household until proper rites and offerings are performed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform post-death rites (especially piṇḍa-dāna and śrāddha) with sincerity and according to one’s tradition, focusing on the intent to nourish and support the departed rather than mere formality.