Shloka 38

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

विष्णवादिविष्णुपर्यन्तान्येकादश तथा खग / श्राद्धानि पञ्च देवानामित्येषां मध्यषीडशी

Transliteration

viṣṇavādiviṣṇuparyantānyekādaśa tathā khaga / śrāddhāni pañca devānāmityeṣāṃ madhyaṣīḍaśī

Translation

O Khaga (Garuda), there are eleven Śrāddha rites beginning with (the one for) Viṣṇu and ending again with Viṣṇu; and there are five Śrāddha offerings for the Devas. Thus, in the middle, the total becomes sixteen.

Word by Word

• विष्ण्वादि-विष्णु-पर्यन्तानि: (those) beginning with Viṣṇu and ending with Viṣṇu
• विष्ण्वादि-विष्णु-पर्यन्तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः (आदि-पर्यन्त-निर्देशः: 'from ... to ...')

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/particle)

• खग: O bird (Garuda)
• खग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धानि: Śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (indeclinable numeral)

• देवानाम्: of/for the gods
• देवानाम्: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्ति-चिह्न (quotative)

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मध्य-षोडशी: the middle sixteenth (observance)
• मध्य-षोडशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + षोडशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मध्यैव षोडशी)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Within the ‘middle’ set culminating in sixteen offerings/rites.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha is systematized: eleven connected with Viṣṇu (from Viṣṇu to Viṣṇu) plus five for devas, yielding sixteen in the middle set.

Vedantic Theme: Integration of deva-yajña and pitṛ-yajña under a Viṣṇu-centric frame; harmonizing ritual plurality with a unifying devotional axis.

Application: When planning śrāddha cycles, account for both Viṣṇu-oriented and deva-oriented offerings as prescribed, ensuring the intended total is met.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Preta-kalpa: śrāddha classifications and counts (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Devas
• Shraddha

FAQs

What is the importance of the sixteen (ṣoḍaśī) Śrāddha set in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames a counted structure of Śrāddha rites—eleven associated with Viṣṇu plus five offerings for the Devas—presented as a complete intermediate set totaling sixteen.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s post-death journey described in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta-kāṇḍa context, Śrāddha is taught as a supportive rite performed by the living; this verse classifies the prescribed offerings, implying an ordered ritual framework that accompanies the departed’s transitional state.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing or commissioning Śrāddha, follow a clearly defined, tradition-based sequence of offerings (including Deva-related rites), rather than treating post-death rituals as vague or optional.