Shloka 39

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

दुग्धं तस्य प्रदेयं स्याद्बालानां भोजनं शुभम् / पञ्चवर्षाधिके प्रेते स्वजातिविहितानि च

Transliteration

dugdhaṃ tasya pradeyaṃ syādbālānāṃ bhojanaṃ śubham / pañcavarṣādhike prete svajātivihitāni ca

Translation

Für dieses verstorbene Kind soll Milch dargebracht werden; für Kinder ist eine solche Speisegabe glückverheißend. Ist der Verstorbene jedoch älter als fünf Jahre, so sind auch die für die eigene jāti (soziale Zugehörigkeit) vorgeschriebenen Riten und Opfergaben zu vollziehen.

Word by Word

• दुग्धम्: milk
• दुग्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्य: for him/for that (child)
• तस्य: Sambandha (For whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• प्रदेयम्: should be given
• प्रदेयम्: Karma (Predicative obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: to be given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Auxiliary/Main)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बालानाम्: of/for children
• बालानाम्: Sambandha (Of/for children)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• भोजनम्: food; feeding
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious; good
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'भोजनम्' इति विशेषण

• पञ्चवर्षाधिके: in (the case of) one older than five years
• पञ्चवर्षाधिके: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चवर्ष (द्विगु-प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पञ्चवर्षात् अधिकः/अधिके), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'प्रेते' इति विशेष्य (locative absolute sense: when (one) beyond five years)

• प्रेते: when (one) has died
• प्रेते: Adhikarana (Temporal locus)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + इ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past participle: departed/dead), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when dead)

• स्वजातिविहितानि: those prescribed for one’s own community
• स्वजातिविहितानि: Karma (Implied objects/rites)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + विहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (स्वजात्या विहितानि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (things) prescribed for one’s own caste/community

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Milk/food offerings for a departed child are auspicious; beyond five years, perform rites prescribed for one’s jāti (social/legal tradition).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as layered: universal compassion plus contextual social-ritual codes; karma is shaped by correct performance of duties.

Application: For deaths beyond early childhood, follow one’s tradition’s full antyeṣṭi/śrāddha framework; maintain simple auspicious offerings for children.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household/ritual-ground

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.24.36–38 (age-based impurity and cremation rules leading to this conclusion)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of milk offering for a deceased child in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that for a departed child, milk is the proper and auspicious offering, indicating a simplified, age-appropriate rite compared to adult śrāddha procedures.

How does this verse distinguish rituals based on the age of the deceased?

It sets a practical threshold: for children, milk/child-appropriate food offerings are emphasized; once the deceased is older than five years, customary jāti-prescribed rites are to be performed as well.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing post-death observances, follow age-sensitive and tradition-specific guidance: keep offerings simple for very young children, and consult family/śāstra-based practice for rites applicable beyond five years.