Shloka 12

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

उदकं चान्नसंयुक्तं भुङ्क्ते तस्मिन्पुरे गतः / त्रैपक्षिके तु यद्दत्तं तत्पुरं स व्यतिक्रमेत्

Transliteration

udakaṃ cānnasaṃyuktaṃ bhuṅkte tasminpure gataḥ / traipakṣike tu yaddattaṃ tatpuraṃ sa vyatikramet

Translation

In jener Stadt angekommen, nimmt der Verstorbene Wasser zu sich, das mit Speise vermischt ist. Doch was in den traipakṣika-Riten (drei Vierzehntagezeiten) dargebracht wird, durch diese Gabe überschreitet er jene Stadt.

Word by Word

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अन्नसंयुक्तम्: mixed with food
• अन्नसंयुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न-संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त); तत्पुरुष-समासः (अन्नेन संयुक्तम्) विशेषण (उदकम्)

• भुङ्क्ते: eats/consumes
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: having gone, arrived
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त)

• त्रैपक्षिके: in the three-fortnight period
• त्रैपक्षिके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैपक्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक (in the period of three fortnights)

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (qualifying ‘पुरम्’)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्यतिक्रमेत्: would pass beyond, would cross
• व्यतिक्रमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अति + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Traipakṣika (three fortnights after death)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha/traipakṣika offerings materially aid the departed; ritual duty of the living affects the preta’s journey.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛṇa (debt) and dharma as cosmic order; subtle continuity between gross and subtle through saṃskāra and offering.

Application: Perform timely post-death rites (water/food offerings, śrāddha) with faith and correctness; support grieving families with guidance to complete rites.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: city/way-station

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: traipakṣika (three-fortnight) rites and their effect on preta’s movement (surrounding verses in 2.16); Garuda Purana: śrāddha sections describing anna-udaka as preta’s sustenance

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of traipakṣika rites in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that offerings made during the three fortnights empower the departed to move past a specific after-death station (pura), accelerating progress on the preta’s journey.

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

It describes the departed reaching a ‘city’ or stage where he receives sustenance (water with food), and explains that properly timed offerings enable him to cross beyond that stage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform post-death offerings and śrāddha with correct timing and sincerity, emphasizing simple, sattvic giving (water and food), as supportive acts for the departed and as a discipline of dharma for the family.