Shloka 37

Dharma–Adharma Marks; Daśāha, Piṇḍa Formation, Śrāddha Calendar, Śayyā-dāna, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Rules

Devanagari script

गृहद्वारे श्मशाने वा तीर्थे देवालये ऽपि वा / यत्राद्यो दीयते पिण्डस्तत्र सर्वान् समापयेत्

Transliteration

gṛhadvāre śmaśāne vā tīrthe devālaye 'pi vā / yatrādyo dīyate piṇḍastatra sarvān samāpayet

Translation

Ob am Hauseingang, am Verbrennungsplatz, an einer tīrtha (heiligen Furt) oder sogar in einem Tempel — wo immer der erste piṇḍa dargebracht wird, dort soll man auch die Darbringung aller piṇḍa vollenden.

Word by Word

• gṛha-dvāre: at the house-door
• gṛha-dvāre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular; Tatpuruṣa: gṛhasya dvāre

• śmaśāne: in the cremation-ground
• śmaśāne: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śmaśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle 'or'

• tīrthe: at a sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• devālaye: in a temple
• devālaye: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular; Tatpuruṣa: devānām ālayaḥ

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle 'also/even'

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (relative location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Relative adverb (अव्यय) 'where'

• ādyaḥ: first
• ādyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (qualifying piṇḍaḥ)

• dīyate: is given
• dīyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person, Singular; Passive voice (कर्मणि) from √dā 'to give'

• piṇḍaḥ: piṇḍa offering
• piṇḍaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject of passive clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (correlative location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (अव्यय) 'there' (correlative to yatra)

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (qualifying implied 'kriyāḥ/śrāddhāni' or 'piṇḍān')

• samāpayet: should complete/perform fully
• samāpayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√āp (धातु)
• Form: Optative/benedictive (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada; causative/denominative sense 'should complete/finish'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: During the sequence of piṇḍa offerings in the immediate post-death śrāddha context

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual efficacy is maintained across sanctioned locations; consistency and completion (all piṇḍas in one chosen place) is emphasized over shifting venues.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as intentioned, orderly action; sacredness can be contextually invoked in multiple loci when aligned with śāstra and right performance.

Application: Choose an appropriate place (home threshold, śmaśāna, tīrtha, or temple) and complete the full sequence of piṇḍa offerings there without fragmentation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: threshold, cremation ground, sacred ford, temple

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: piṇḍa-dāna place rules and completion instructions (adjacent verses); Garuda Purana śrāddha-kalpa: tīrtha/temple śrāddha allowances

Characters & Entities

• Pitris
• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of piṇḍa-dāna in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses continuity and completeness: once the first piṇḍa is offered at an appropriate place, the remaining piṇḍas should be completed there, emphasizing orderly performance of rites for the departed.

Does the Garuda Purana restrict where piṇḍa offerings can be made?

No—this verse explicitly allows multiple valid settings (home threshold, cremation ground, tīrtha, or temple), indicating that the key is proper offering and finishing the full set where it is begun.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Choose a suitable, accessible sacred setting for the rite and perform it consistently and completely, prioritizing sincerity, dharmic procedure, and completion over anxiety about a single “only valid” location.