Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

एकादशाहे यः पिण्डस्तं दद्यादामिषेण तु / सिद्धान्नं तस्य दातव्यं कृशराः पूपकाः पयः / प्रक्षाल्य विप्रचरणावर्घ्यं धूपञ्च दीपक्रम्

Transliteration

ekādaśāhe yaḥ piṇḍastaṃ dadyādāmiṣeṇa tu / siddhānnaṃ tasya dātavyaṃ kṛśarāḥ pūpakāḥ payaḥ / prakṣālya vipracaraṇāvarghyaṃ dhūpañca dīpakram

Translation

Am elften Tag soll der darzubringende piṇḍa zusammen mit Fleisch gegeben werden. Für dieses Ritual sind auch gekochte Speisen darzubringen — kṛśarā (Reis mit Hülsenfrüchten), kleine Küchlein und Milch. Nachdem man die Füße der Brāhmaṇas gewaschen hat, reiche man das arghya (ehrfürchtige Wassergabe) dar und vollziehe dann die rechte Folge von Weihrauch und Lampen.

Word by Word

• ekādaśa-ah(e): on the eleventh day
• ekādaśa-ah(e): Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aha(n) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; द्विगु-समास (ekādaśa ahāni) meaning 'on the eleventh day'

• yaḥ: which/that
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• piṇḍaḥ: piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball offering)
• piṇḍaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; demonstrative pronoun referring to piṇḍa

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), Optative; Parasmaipada; 3rd Person, Singular

• āmiṣeṇa: with meat
• āmiṣeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āmiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विरोध/विशेषार्थ निपात)

• siddha-annam: cooked food
• siddha-annam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारय (siddham annam)

• tasya: for him/of that
• tasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: Gerundive (कर्तव्य/भाव्य); Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; impersonal obligation 'is to be given'

• kṛśarāḥ: kṛśarā (rice-gruel/khichdi)
• kṛśarāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛśarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• pūpakāḥ: cakes
• pūpakāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• payaḥ: milk
• payaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• prakṣālya: having washed
• prakṣālya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-kṣāl (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्-अव्यय); 'having washed'

• vipra-caraṇa-avarghyam: water/oblation for the Brahmin's feet
• vipra-caraṇa-avarghyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viprasya caraṇayoḥ arghyam)

• dhūpam: incense
• dhūpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• dīpa-kramam: arrangement/sequence of lamps (lighting)
• dīpa-kramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष (dīpasya kramaḥ)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: 11th day after death (ekādaśāha)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Eleventh-day śrāddha prescribes specific foods and honor to brāhmaṇas; proper sequence and generosity stabilize the preta’s condition.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as yajña-like reciprocity; offering to worthy recipients as a means of subtle benefit transfer (adr̥ṣṭa-phala).

Application: On the 11th day, perform piṇḍa with prescribed naivedya, honor brāhmaṇas (wash feet, offer arghya), and complete dhūpa-dīpa in correct order.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.34 (śrāddha day-wise prescriptions; 11th-day specifics); Garuda Purana: brāhmaṇa-satkara as śrāddha limb in adjacent ritual passages

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Brahmanas
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of the eleventh-day (ekādaśāha) piṇḍa-dāna in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats the eleventh day as a specific śrāddha milestone where a designated piṇḍa is offered with defined foods and honor-rites, reinforcing the structured ritual support given to the departed in the Preta stage.

How does this verse connect ritual offerings with the departed soul’s journey?

By prescribing piṇḍa, cooked foods, and the formal honoring of brāhmaṇas (feet-washing, arghya, incense, lamp sequence), the verse frames śrāddha as an ordered dharmic act believed to aid the preta through correct post-death rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow a disciplined, respectful sequence in memorial rites—offer food with sincerity, honor qualified priests/elders properly, and keep the ritual orderly (arghya, incense, lamps), emphasizing reverence and dharma rather than mere formality.