Shloka 36

Akalamṛtyu-kāraṇa and Bāla Antyeṣṭi: Age-graded Funeral Rites, Śrāddha Types, and Sonship Duties

Devanagari script

कुर्वन्त्यन्ये सुताः श्राद्धमे कोद्दिष्टं न पार्वणम् / ब्राह्मोढाजस्तून्नयति संगृहीतस्त्वधो नयेत् / श्राद्धं सांवत्सरं कुर्वञ्जायते नरकाय वै

Transliteration

kurvantyanye sutāḥ śrāddhame koddiṣṭaṃ na pārvaṇam / brāhmoḍhājastūnnayati saṃgṛhītastvadho nayet / śrāddhaṃ sāṃvatsaraṃ kurvañjāyate narakāya vai

Translation

Some sons perform only the ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha and not the pārvaṇa śrāddha. If a Brahmin is wrongly chosen, the rite is borne upward; but if the one chosen is ‘seized’ (impure/unfit), he drags it downward. And one who performs śrāddha only once a year is indeed destined for hell.

Word by Word

• कुर्वन्ति: perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सुताः: sons
• सुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• एकोद्दिष्टम्: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-ancestor) rite
• एकोद्दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषसमासः (eka-uddiṣṭa)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; श्राद्धविशेषः

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पार्वणम्: the pārvaṇa rite
• पार्वणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; श्राद्धविशेषः

• ब्राह्मोढाजः: one who is ‘brāhma-ūḍha-aja’ (textual class; lit. brāhma-married-goat; obscure)
• ब्राह्मोढाजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्म + ऊढ + अज (प्रातिपदिक); बहुव्रीहिसमासः (brāhma-ūḍha-aja)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; जातिविशेष/दुर्लभ-समासः

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• उन्नयति: leads upward
• उन्नयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• संगृहीतः: adopted/accepted
• संगृहीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• अधः: downward
• अधः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: downward)

• नयेत्: would lead
• नयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सांवत्सरम्: annual
• सांवत्सरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; श्राद्धस्य विशेषणम्

• कुर्वन्: doing (performing)
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि

• जायते: is born/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• नरकाय: for hell
• नरकाय: Sampradana (Recipient/Goal/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदानार्थे (dative)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Annual-only performance criticized; proper schedule implied beyond once-yearly tokenism

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual action bears precise results: incomplete śrāddha (only ekoddiṣṭa), wrong officiant, or mere annual tokenism produces adverse karma and naraka-gati.

Vedantic Theme: Karma’s exactitude (yathā-kriyā tathā-phala) and the necessity of śuddhi/adhikāra; ritual as a disciplined means within pravṛtti-mārga.

Application: Learn the difference between ekoddiṣṭa and pārvaṇa; choose qualified priests; avoid reducing ancestral rites to minimal formalities.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: ritual space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana passages on narakas for neglect of śrāddha and on brāhmaṇa-eligibility in rites (general)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmin (officiant)
• Pitris (implied through śrāddha)
• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the importance of performing pārvaṇa śrāddha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse warns that doing only ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha while neglecting pārvaṇa śrāddha is considered a serious deficiency in pitṛ-kārya, leading to negative post-death consequences.

How does this verse explain the effect of the officiating Brahmin on śrāddha results?

It states that an improperly chosen or confused officiant can distort the rite’s outcome: a fit Brahmin ‘raises’ the merit, while an unfit/tainted one causes the rite to ‘fall’—implying loss of benefit and adverse results.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform śrāddha with correct procedure (including the appropriate type, not merely annual formality) and engage a qualified, ritually fit priest—treating ancestral duties as dharma rather than a minimal obligation.