Shloka 16

Determining Rites for Difficult/Inauspicious Deaths; Annual and Daily Śrāddha Rules

Devanagari script

दिनमासावविज्ञातौ मरणस्य यदा पुनः / प्रस्थानदिनमासौ तु ग्राह्यौ श्राद्धे मयोदितौ

Transliteration

dinamāsāvavijñātau maraṇasya yadā punaḥ / prasthānadinamāsau tu grāhyau śrāddhe mayoditau

Translation

Wenn Tag und Monat des Todes unbekannt sind, dann sollen für die Darbringung des Śrāddha der Tag und der Monat des «Fortgehens» des Verstorbenen angenommen werden, wie ich es dargelegt habe.

Word by Word

• dina-māsau: the day and the month
• dina-māsau: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (दिन प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (मास प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (day and month)

• avijñātau: unknown
• avijñātau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vi-jñā (अ+वि+ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण (unknown)

• maraṇasya: of the death
• maraṇasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (मरण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• yadā: when
• yadā: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• punaḥ: again/further
• punaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (again/further)

• prasthāna-dina-māsau: the departure day and (departure) month
• prasthāna-dina-māsau: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasthāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dina (दिन) + māsa (मास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः—‘प्रस्थान-दिनः’ तथा ‘प्रस्थान-मासः’ (departure day and departure month)

• tu: however
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• grāhyau: to be adopted/accepted
• grāhyau: Vidhaya (विधेय/predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: विधेय-विशेषण; भाव्य/अनियत-कृदन्त (यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे—‘to be taken’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• śrāddhe: in the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (श्राद्ध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (करण/agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• uditau: stated
• uditau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-√i (उद्+इ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण (stated/declared)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: When both death day and month are unknown; use departure day and month for śrāddha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: If both day and month of death are unknown, adopt the day and month of departure for śrāddha.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma’s compassion and practicality: preserving duty through valid substitutions maintains continuity of pitṛ obligations.

Application: When neither death-day nor death-month is known, use the departure day and month as the śrāddha schedule.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: griha/ritual-space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.45.14-15 (partial-knowledge cases)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Pitris

FAQs

What does Garuda Purana advise if the exact date of death is unknown for Śrāddha?

It instructs that one should use the day and month associated with the person’s departure (prasthāna) as the basis for performing Śrāddha.

How does this verse support continuity of Pitṛ rites despite missing records?

By giving a substitute reference point (prasthāna day/month), the text ensures Pitṛ-kārya is not abandoned due to uncertainty about the death date.

What is a practical takeaway from this verse for families today?

If documentation of the death date is unavailable, families can still observe Śrāddha by using a traditionally accepted proxy date tied to the departed’s last departure, maintaining regular ancestral rites.