Shloka 9
Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna
Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings
एका वक्त्रे तु दातव्या घ्राणयुग्मे तथा पुनः / अक्ष्णोश्च कर्णयोश्चैव द्वेद्वे देये यथाक्रमम्
ekā vaktre tu dātavyā ghrāṇayugme tathā punaḥ / akṣṇośca karṇayoścaiva dvedve deye yathākramam
One offering should be given to the mouth; likewise again to the pair of nostrils. For the eyes and for the ears as well, two and two should be offered respectively, in due order.
Lord Vishnu
Beneficiary: Preta (departed individual)
Timing: Immediately around death as part of antyeṣṭi preliminaries
Concept: Ritual attention to the sense-organs mirrors prāṇa and indriya withdrawal; ordered offerings support a peaceful transition.
Vedantic Theme: Indriya-nigraha/saṃhāra symbolism (senses returning inward) and the jīva’s separation from sensory apparatus.
Application: Make prescribed offerings in sequence: one to the mouth, one to the nostrils (pair), and two each to eyes and ears, as directed by the rite.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: household ritual space
Related Themes: Garuda Purana procedural lists for deathbed rites involving sense-gates and prāṇa-related placements; Garuda Purana instructions on orderly sequencing (yathākramam) in antyeṣṭi
FAQs
This verse prescribes a precise sequence of offerings directed to the mouth, nostrils, eyes, and ears, indicating that rites are performed methodically to support the preta’s subtle faculties during the post-death transition.
By mapping offerings to specific organs, the verse reflects the Garuda Purana’s view that the departed continues in a subtle condition where functional capacities are ritually aided, preparing the being for onward movement in the after-death journey.
Perform funeral rites with accuracy and reverence—following prescribed order and intention—while also cultivating ethical living, since the tradition links post-death welfare with both ritual support and dharmic conduct.