Home›Garuda Purana›Preta Kalpa›Adhyaya 19›Shloka 13
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shloka 13

Arrival at Yama’s cities: Citragupta’s scrutiny, Dharmadhvaja’s gate, and the necessity of dāna

Devanagari script

और्ध्वदैहिकदानानि यैर्न दत्तानि काश्यप / महाकष्टेन ते यान्ति तस्माद्देयानि शक्तितः / अदत्त्वा पशुवद्यान्ति गृहीतो वन्धबन्धनैः

Transliteration

aurdhvadaihikadānāni yairna dattāni kāśyapa / mahākaṣṭena te yānti tasmāddeyāni śaktitaḥ / adattvā paśuvadyānti gṛhīto vandhabandhanaiḥ

Translation

O Kāśyapa (Garuda), jene, die die nach dem Tod zu gebenden Gaben und Opfer (aurdhvadaihika dāna) nicht darbringen, gehen unter gewaltiger Not dahin. Darum sollen sie nach Kräften gegeben werden. Ohne sie zu geben, zieht man dahin wie ein Tier, ergriffen und gebunden von den Fesseln der Fesselung.

Word by Word
और्ध्वदैहिकदानानिpost-death (funerary) gifts
और्ध्वदैहिकदानानि:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootऔर्ध्वदैहिक (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (और्ध्वदैहिकानि दानानि = post-death rites gifts)
यैःby whom
यैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (by whom/with which)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध
दत्तानिgiven
दत्तानि:
Visheshana (Adjectival participle/विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootदा (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (दानानि) विशेषणरूपेण
काश्यपO Kāśyapa
काश्यप:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootकाश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन
महाकष्टेनwith great hardship
महाकष्टेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमहा (प्रातिपदिक) + कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् कष्टम्)
तेthey
ते:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
यान्तिgo
यान्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
तस्मात्therefore
तस्मात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)
देयानिto be given
देयानि:
Vidhana (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootदेय (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातोः यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (दानानि)
शक्तितःaccording to one’s capacity
शक्तितः:
Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootशक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); यथाशक्ति (according to ability)
अदत्त्वाwithout giving / having not given
अदत्त्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअ + दा (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) नकारार्थक-उपसर्गयुक्त; पूर्वक्रिया
पशुवत्like an animal
पशुवत्:
Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपशु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formवत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (simile adverb)
यान्तिgo
यान्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
गृहीतःseized, captured
गृहीतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootग्रह् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अन्तर्भूतः 'सः')
वन्धबन्धनैःby binding fetters/ropes
वन्धबन्धनैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootवन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (वन्धस्य बन्धनैः = by bonds/ropes)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra, addressed here as Kāśyapa)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Post-funeral period (aurdhvadaihika context; after antyeṣṭi)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Aurdhvadaihika dāna (post-funeral gifts/offerings) is a duty; performing it according to capacity mitigates hardship for the departed and upholds dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Interdependence of ritual action and subtle welfare (karma operating through śrāddha/dāna); compassion as dharmic impetus within saṃsāric order.

Application: After a death, perform prescribed gifts/offerings within means—food, clothing, dakṣiṇā, support to brāhmaṇas/poor—ensuring sincerity over ostentation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: liminal journey context

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: extensive śrāddha and preta-support instructions in Pretakalpa and later ritual sections; Motif of ‘bandhana’ (binding) and relief through dāna/śrāddha recurring across the text

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda (Kāśyapa)
V
Vishnu

FAQs

This verse states that post-death gifts/offerings ease the departed being’s onward journey; neglecting them leads to great hardship, so they should be done according to one’s means.

It implies the preta’s onward movement can become difficult when prescribed post-funeral support (dāna linked to rites) is withheld, resulting in a constrained, bound condition rather than a supported transition.

Perform funeral and post-funeral rites responsibly and give charity within your capacity—prioritizing sincerity and dharmic intent over display—so obligations to the departed are not neglected.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→