Shloka 104

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

नगेन्द्रनगरं गत्वा भुक्त्वा चान्नं तथाविधम् / मासि द्वितीये यद्दत्तं बान्धवैस्तु ततो व्रजेत्

Transliteration

nagendranagaraṃ gatvā bhuktvā cānnaṃ tathāvidham / māsi dvitīye yaddattaṃ bāndhavaistu tato vrajet

Translation

Having gone to Nagendra-nagara and eaten that kind of food, the preta then proceeds onward—sustained by what the relatives offer in the second month.

Word by Word

• नगेन्द्रनगरम्: the city of the lord of mountains
• नगेन्द्रनगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; (नगेन्द्रस्य नगरम्) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having gone’

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): ‘having eaten’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथाविधम्: of such a kind
• तथाविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of that kind)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे

• द्वितीये: in the second
• द्वितीये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with मासि)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त

• बान्धवैः: by relatives
• बान्धवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्तृ/करणनिर्देश (by relatives)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमसूचक (then/from there)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Second month (māsi dvitīye)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The departed’s experience is supported by the living’s offerings; relational duty (bandhu-dharma) has real post-mortem efficacy.

Vedantic Theme: Interdependence within saṃsāra: subtle-body continuity and the efficacy of saṃskāra/śrāddha as karmic supports until final adjudication.

Application: Do the second-month offerings with care and continuity; treat śrāddha as a duty of gratitude rather than mere custom.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: month-wise stations (nagara) and dependence on monthly offerings (māsa-śrāddha); Garuda Purana: descriptions of preta ‘eating’ the subtle essence of offerings

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Bāndhavas (relatives)

FAQs

What is the importance of second-month offerings in Garuda Purana?

This verse states that what relatives offer in the second month becomes the preta’s support, enabling it to continue onward on its post-death route.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It presents the journey as passing through specific way-stations (here, Nagendra-nagara), where the preta partakes of provisioned food and then moves forward.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform monthly śrāddha/pinda offerings with sincerity and discipline, treating them as duties of care toward ancestors and as reminders to live responsibly.