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Shloka 58

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

चतुरो निर्वपेत्पिण्डान्पूर्वन्तेषु समापयेत् / ततः प्रभृति वै प्रेतः पितृसामान्यमश्नुते

Transliteration

caturo nirvapetpiṇḍānpūrvanteṣu samāpayet / tataḥ prabhṛti vai pretaḥ pitṛsāmānyamaśnute

Translation

Man soll vier Piṇḍas (Reisbällchen) darbringen und das Ritual an den zuvor festgelegten, passenden Abschlussstellen vollenden. Von da an erlangt der Preta wahrlich den gemeinsamen Stand der Pitṛs (Ahnenwesen).

Word by Word
चतुरःfour
चतुरः:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण
निर्वपेत्should offer/place (as offering)
निर्वपेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनिर्वप् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
पिण्डान्rice-balls (piṇḍas)
पिण्डान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन
पूर्वान्तेषुat the earlier ends/places (i.e., earlier positions)
पूर्वान्तेषु:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootपूर्व + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पूर्वेषु अन्तेषु/पूर्वान्तेषु)
समापयेत्should complete/finish
समापयेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + आप् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘to complete/finish’
ततःthen; thereafter
ततः:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; तस्मात्-प्रभृति/क्रमवाचक (then/from that)
प्रभृतिfrom then onward
प्रभृति:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्रभृति (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; आरम्भवाचक (from that time onward)
वैindeed
वै:
Discourse particle (Nipata/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)
प्रेतःthe preta (departed spirit)
प्रेतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
पितृसामान्यम्common status with the Pitṛs
पितृसामान्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ + सामान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां सामान्यं)
अश्नुतेattains/enjoys
अश्नुते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअश् (धातु)
Formलट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instructing Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Sapindana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: At sapīṇḍīkaraṇa completion point (as per tradition’s prescribed day/sequence).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sapīṇḍīkaraṇa logic: offering the prescribed number of piṇḍas culminates in the preta’s admission into the pitṛ collective.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃskāra as dharmic instrument shaping subtle destiny; continuity of lineage duties (pitṛ-ṛṇa) supports social and spiritual order.

Application: Offer four piṇḍas in the prescribed sequence and conclude at the correct ritual ‘stopping points’ (nyāsa/udvāsana-style closures as taught by one’s tradition), understanding this marks the shift to pitṛ status.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: ritual altar space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.5.57-61 (vessels, piṇḍas, and status transition)

Characters & Entities
P
Pitris
P
Pretas

FAQs

This verse states that offering four prescribed piṇḍas and completing the rite properly helps the departed (preta) move toward ancestral integration, culminating in pitṛ-sāmānya—being accepted among the Pitṛs.

It distinguishes the preta phase from the Pitṛ phase: the departed remains a preta until the prescribed piṇḍa rites are completed, after which the being attains the shared condition/status of the Pitṛs.

Follow śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna with accuracy and sincerity (ideally with learned guidance), treating the rites as acts of duty and remembrance that support orderly transition and family dharma.

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