Shloka 62

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

भर्तुर्मृततिथेरन्यतिथौ चितिमथारुहेत् / तांमृताहनि तु सम्प्राप्ते पृथक् पिण्डेन योजयेत्

Transliteration

bharturmṛtatitheranyatithau citimathāruhet / tāṃmṛtāhani tu samprāpte pṛthak piṇḍena yojayet

Translation

If a wife ascends the funeral pyre (citi) on a date other than her husband’s death‑tithi, then when his death‑day arrives, she should be ritually joined to him by offering a separate piṇḍa.

Word by Word

• भर्तुः: of the husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive Singular

• मृत-तिथेः: of the death-date (tithi)
• मृत-तिथेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त, √मृ (धातु) + क्त) + तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृतस्य तिथिः)

• अन्य-तिथौ: on another tithi (date)
• अन्य-तिथौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular; समासः कर्मधारय (अन्या तिथिः)

• चितिम्: the funeral pyre
• चितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse particle (सम्बोधन/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• आरुहेत्: should mount/ascend
• आरुहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘should ascend/mount’

• ताम्: that (pyre/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular (pronoun)

• मृत-अहनि: on the day of death
• मृत-अहनि: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त, √मृ + क्त) + अहन्/अहनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular; समासः सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृतस्य अहनि = on the day of death)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोध/पुनरुक्त्यर्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• सम्प्राप्ते: when it has arrived/occurred
• सम्प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √प्राप् (धातु) (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-रूपे (locative absolute sense) — ‘when (it) has arrived/occurred’

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पिण्डेन: with a (separate) piṇḍa offering
• पिण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental Singular

• योजयेत्: should connect/join
• योजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √युज् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग — ‘should cause to join/should connect’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: On the husband’s mṛta-tithi (death-tithi) when it arrives, even if the wife’s pyre-ascension occurred on another tithi.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual linkage (saṃbandha) of spouses after death is maintained through correct tithi-based piṇḍa offerings even when death/pyre-ascension dates differ.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as a purificatory support for orderly saṃskāra; continuity of subtle relations (saṃskāra/ṛṇa) until preta is stabilized among pitṛs.

Application: When the wife’s death/cremation observance is on a different tithi than the husband’s, offer a separate piṇḍa on the husband’s death-tithi to ritually connect her to him.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: funeral ground/cremation site (śmaśāna)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.5 (Śrāddha/antyeṣṭi procedural sequence around tithi, piṇḍa, sapiṇḍīkaraṇa); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: general doctrine that piṇḍa/udaka sustain the preta and establish pitṛ-status

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of offering a separate piṇḍa on the husband’s mṛt-tithi in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats the piṇḍa as a ritual means of linkage (yojana) so that, when the husband’s death-day arrives, the relationship and intended rite are properly established through a distinct offering.

How does this verse explain the role of timing (tithi) in death rituals?

It indicates that rites are keyed to the deceased’s mṛt-tithi; if a major act occurred on a different date, the correct death-day is still honored by performing a specific, separate piṇḍa to align the ritual with that tithi.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe death-anniversary rites with attention to the proper tithi and perform prescribed offerings distinctly and deliberately, emphasizing accuracy, remembrance, and dharmic continuity in family rituals.