Shloka 130

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

मास्यष्टमे दुः खदे तु परे भुक्त्वाथ सोदकम् / पिण्डं प्रयात्सयौ तार्क्ष्य नानाक्रन्दपुरं ततः

Transliteration

māsyaṣṭame duḥ khade tu pare bhuktvātha sodakam / piṇḍaṃ prayātsayau tārkṣya nānākrandapuraṃ tataḥ

Translation

In the eighth month, after the departed has undergone the painful realm, he consumes the water-offering together with the piṇḍa. Thereafter, O Tārkṣya (Garuda), he proceeds onward to the city called Nānākrandapura—“the town of many cries”.

Word by Word

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

• अष्टमे: in the eighth
• अष्टमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of मासि)

• दुःखदे: in (a state) giving sorrow
• दुःखदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of परे/अवस्थायाम् implied)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• परे: in the next (stage)
• परे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'परे' = in the next (stage)

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequencer)

• स-उदकम्: with water
• स-उदकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव: with water

• पिण्डम्: piṇḍa offering
• पिण्डम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रयात्: would depart/go forth
• प्रयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+या (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सयौ: to Sayā (a place/name)
• सयौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गन्तव्यस्थानवाचक (as destination)

• तार्क्ष्य: O Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• तार्क्ष्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक; गरुड-नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• नाना-क्रन्द-पुरम्: the city of many cries
• नाना-क्रन्द-पुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + क्रन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: नानाविधः क्रन्दः यस्मिन् तत् पुरम् (city of various cries)

• ततः: from there/thereafter
• ततः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) अपादान/क्रम (from there/thereafter)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Eighth-month (aṣṭamāsika) offering

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-mortem experience unfolds in staged realms; ritual offerings provide momentary support, but the trajectory is governed by accumulated karma.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāric travel (gati) under karma; rites as auxiliary means (sahakāri-kāraṇa) rather than ultimate liberation.

Application: Perform the prescribed monthly śrāddha offerings; cultivate dharma and devotion during life to avoid painful stations after death.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: city/waystation on the preta’s route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: eighth-month stage; named puras on the route; descriptions of cries/torments; piṇḍa-udaka consumption before onward travel

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tārkṣya)
• Preta (the departed soul)
• Piṇḍa
• Udaka (water offering)
• Nānākraṇdapura

FAQs

What is the importance of piṇḍa and udaka offerings in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links the departed’s onward movement with receiving the piṇḍa along with water (udaka), indicating that śrāddha-style offerings are envisioned as real support for the preta during the post-death journey.

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

It presents a staged, time-linked progression: after undergoing a painful condition in the eighth month, the preta receives offerings and then travels onward to a specific intermediate city, Nānākraṇdapura, marked by lamentation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform ancestral rites with sincerity—especially water offerings and piṇḍa-dāna—while also living ethically, since the text frames the after-death journey as shaped by both ritual support and the results of one’s actions.