Shloka 10

Akalamṛtyu-kāraṇa and Bāla Antyeṣṭi: Age-graded Funeral Rites, Śrāddha Types, and Sonship Duties

Devanagari script

बालश्चाथ परञ्ज्ञेय आमाससप्तविंशति / आ पञ्च वर्षात्कौमारः पौगण्डो नवहांयनः

Transliteration

bālaścātha parañjñeya āmāsasaptaviṃśati / ā pañca varṣātkaumāraḥ paugaṇḍo navahāṃyanaḥ

Translation

Wisse ferner: Die Stufe namens bāla (Säugling) währt siebenundzwanzig Monate. Bis zum fünften Jahr heißt es kaumāra (frühe Kindheit), und bis zum neunten Jahr paugaṇḍa (Knabenalter).

Word by Word

• बालः: a boy/child
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Prakaraṇa (Discourse marker/प्रकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• परम्: next / further
• परम्: Prakaraṇa (Adverbial/प्रकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे अव्ययवत्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial ‘further/next’)

• ज्ञेयः: is to be known (as)
• ज्ञेयः: Vidhi (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be known/considered’

• आमाससप्तविंशति: twenty-seven months
• आमाससप्तविंशति: Avadhi (Extent/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमास + सप्तविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (विंशति-शब्दः), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सप्तविंशति-आमास’ = 27 months (age-measure)

• आ: up to
• आ: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक-अव्यय (up to)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; ‘five’ (numeral)

• वर्षात्: from (the count of) years / years
• वर्षात्: Apadana/Avadhi (Limit/अपादान-अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अवधौ (up to/from the year-count)

• कौमारः: the ‘kaumāra’ stage (boyhood)
• कौमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अवस्थावाचक (stage-name)

• पौगण्डः: the ‘pauguṇḍa’ stage
• पौगण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौगण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अवस्थावाचक

• नवहांयनः: nine years old
• नवहांयनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव + हांयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘नव-हांयन’ = nine-year-old

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Life-stage taxonomy (bāla/kaumāra/paugaṇḍa) as a basis for determining obligations and ritual handling.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma operates through nāma-rūpa distinctions in vyavahāra; orderly social-ritual categories support ethical and ritual decision-making.

Application: Use the stated month/year thresholds to classify a child’s stage when determining appropriate rites, responsibilities, and exceptions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.25.9-13 (continuous age-stage and rite rules)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of defining bāla, kaumāra, and paugaṇḍa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse sets clear age-brackets for childhood stages, which helps determine context-sensitive dharma and the appropriate framing of rites and discussions in the Preta Kanda.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana death rituals?

In the Preta Kanda, age distinctions are used to interpret how obligations, ritual procedures, and customary considerations may differ when the deceased is an infant or a child.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the verse as a traditional reference for understanding classical Hindu age-stages, especially when consulting family priests about age-specific conventions in antyeṣṭi/śrāddha discussions.