Shloka 83

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

वाय्वग्रसारिवद्रूपं देहमन्यत्प्रपद्यते / तत्पिण्डजं पातनार्थमन्यत्तु पितृसम्भवम्

Transliteration

vāyvagrasārivadrūpaṃ dehamanyatprapadyate / tatpiṇḍajaṃ pātanārthamanyattu pitṛsambhavam

Translation

(El difunto) asume otro cuerpo—sutil en forma, veloz como el viento más impetuoso—y alcanza una nueva encarnación. Un cuerpo nace de las ofrendas de piṇḍa para ser llevado adelante, y otro surge de los Pitṛs, los padres ancestrales.

Word by Word

• वायु: of wind
• वायु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive, singular)

• अग्र: tip, point
• अग्र: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• सारि: reed/grass-stalk (sārī)
• सारि: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• वत्: like
• वत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• अन्यत्: another, different
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• प्रपद्यते: attains, takes on
• प्रपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (pronoun used adjectivally, neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• पिण्डजम्: born of a lump (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• पातन: causing to fall, dropping
• पातन: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत् (धातु) + णिच् + ल्युट् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (action noun: 'causing to fall')

• अर्थम्: for the purpose
• अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• पितृ: of the father
• पितृ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive, singular)

• सम्भवम्: originating, produced
• सम्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु) + घञ्/अ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Post-death śrāddha sequence (preta-supporting period implied)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-death the jīva assumes a subtle, swift form; ritual offerings (piṇḍa) contribute to a functional body for onward movement, while another embodiment is linked to pitṛ-lineage.

Vedantic Theme: Sūkṣma-śarīra continuity and karma-driven transmigration; ritual as upāya within vyavahāra supporting the jīva’s journey.

Application: Perform śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna with faith and correctness; maintain pitṛ-tarpaṇa duties to aid departed relatives.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: liminal state

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: piṇḍaja-deha/yātrā-deha discussions in śrāddha-related passages; Garuda Purana: preta’s dependence on offerings and pitṛ-relations across Pretakalpa and Śrāddha-kalpa sections

Characters & Entities

• Vayu
• Pitris
• Pinda (Piṇḍa offerings)
• Preta (implied subtle body of the departed)

FAQs

What is the importance of piṇḍa-dāna in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that a body (support for the departed) is ‘piṇḍaja’—generated through piṇḍa offerings—so the deceased can be carried onward in the post-death journey.

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

It describes the departed assuming a swift, wind-like subtle form and indicates that post-death embodiment is supported through ritual offerings (piṇḍa) and ancestral agency (Pitṛs).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna with sincerity and timeliness, and live in a way that honors ancestors—seeing ritual duty and ethical conduct as support for one’s lineage and one’s own afterlife passage.