Shloka 6
Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna
Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings
कर्मयोगाद्यदा देही मुञ्चत्यत्र निजं वपुः / तदा भूमिगतं कुर्याद्गोमयेनोपलिप्य च
karmayogādyadā dehī muñcatyatra nijaṃ vapuḥ / tadā bhūmigataṃ kuryādgomayenopalipya ca
When, by the force of karma and its bonds, the embodied being casts off his own body here, then one should lay him upon the ground and smear the spot with purifying cow-dung.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Beneficiary: Preta (departed individual)
Timing: Immediately after death, before further antyeṣṭi steps
Concept: The embodied being relinquishes the body due to karma’s force; the living respond with purificatory rites.
Vedantic Theme: Deha-ātma-viveka (body is cast off; self continues) and karma-niyati (lawful causation).
Application: At death, place the body on the ground and purify/sanctify the spot with cow-dung as part of immediate post-death protocol.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: household/cremation-preparatory space
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Antyeṣṭi sections describing immediate post-death handling, śauca, and preparatory rites; Garuda Purana passages on gomaya as purifier and on liminal handling of the corpse
FAQs
This verse presents gomaya as a traditional purifier: after death, the body is set on the earth and the place is ritually cleansed, marking separation from ordinary space and beginning the funeral observances.
It frames death as occurring through karmic causation—when karma ripens, the dehī abandons the vapuḥ—after which the living must perform immediate rites that initiate the post-death sequence described in the Preta Kanda.
It emphasizes prompt, orderly, and respectful handling of the deceased and maintaining ritual cleanliness—principles that can be followed today in culturally appropriate ways while observing local health and legal guidelines.