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Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मासत्रये त्रिरात्रं स्यात् षण्मासेन तु पक्षिणी / अहः संवत्सरादर्ब्वाक् पूर्णे दत्त्वोदकं शुचिः / अनेनैवा नुसारेण शुद्धिः स्यात् सार्ववर्णिकी

Transliteration

māsatraye trirātraṃ syāt ṣaṇmāsena tu pakṣiṇī / ahaḥ saṃvatsarādarbvāk pūrṇe dattvodakaṃ śuciḥ / anenaivā nusāreṇa śuddhiḥ syāt sārvavarṇikī

Translation

Après trois mois, l’impureté n’est plus que de trois nuits; après six mois, elle est d’une quinzaine. Mais avant qu’une année entière ne s’accomplisse, la pureté est retrouvée en un seul jour, dès lors que l’eau (udaka) a été offerte selon le rite et que l’on demeure propre. En suivant cette même progression, la purification vaut pour toutes les classes.

Word by Word
मासत्रयेwithin three months
मासत्रये:
कालाधिकरण (Temporal locative)
TypeNoun
Rootमास-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगुसमास ('three months'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative 'at/within three months'
त्रिरात्रम्three nights (period)
त्रिरात्रम्:
कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootत्रि-रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगुसमास ('three nights'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative as subject of स्यात्
स्यात्should be
स्यात्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada
षण्मासेनwithin six months
षण्मासेन:
करण/कालपरिमाण (Measure of time)
TypeNoun
Rootषण्-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगुसमास ('six months'), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental 'by/within six months'
तुbut/indeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात
पक्षिणीa fortnight (15 days)
पक्षिणी:
कर्ता (Kartā/Subject; implied 'स्यात्')
TypeNoun
Rootपक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular (a fortnight)
अहःa day
अहः:
कर्म/परिमाण (Measure)
TypeNoun
Rootअहन्/अहः (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as measure 'a day'
संवत्सरात्from (after) a year
संवत्सरात्:
अपादान (Apādāna)
TypeNoun
Rootसंवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ablative 'from a year'
अर्वाक्before/this side of
अर्वाक्:
सम्बन्ध/अव्यय (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअर्वाक् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; दिशावाचक/कालवाचक (adverb: 'this side/before')
पूर्णेwhen (the period is) complete
पूर्णे:
सप्तमीसम्बन्ध (Locative absolute)
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative absolute sense 'when completed' (with implied time-period)
दत्त्वाhaving given
दत्त्वा:
पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
TypeVerb
Root√दा (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having given'
उदकम्water
उदकम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootउदक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative object of दत्त्वा
शुचिःpure
शुचिः:
प्रत्यय/विशेषण (Predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective 'pure' (person implied)
अनेनby this
अनेन:
करण (Karaṇa)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental 'by this'
एवindeed/only
एव:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)
अनुसारेणaccording to (the rule)
अनुसारेण:
करण (Instrumental of manner)
TypeNoun
Rootअनुसार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental 'according to'
शुद्धिःpurification
शुद्धिः:
कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
स्यात्should be
स्यात्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
सार्ववर्णिकीapplicable to all castes
सार्ववर्णिकी:
विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
TypeAdjective
Rootसार्व-वर्णिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुषसमास ('of all varṇas'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with शुद्धिः
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: If death is 3 months past: 3 nights; 6 months: a fortnight; before 1 year: 1 day after duly offering water and observing cleanliness.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Aśauca duration reduces with temporal distance from the death; water-offering and cleanliness restore purity; rule applies across varṇas by the same sequence.

Vedantic Theme: Kāla as regulator of saṃskāra; purification as a conventional means to re-enter dharmic life while acknowledging impermanence.

Application: For deaths at temporal distance (3/6/12 months), apply the reduced impurity periods; perform due water offering and maintain śauca to conclude impurity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: household/ritual water-source (river/well)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.34.63-65 (baseline sūtaka and varṇa durations); Garuda Purana śrāddha sections on udaka-dāna/tarpaṇa as purifier

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda

FAQs

This verse lays out a graded timeline for impurity and its removal, emphasizing that proper conduct—especially offering water and maintaining cleanliness—restores ritual purity in an orderly, dharma-based way.

While not describing the soul’s journey directly, it supports the broader Preta Kanda framework: the living must perform timely rites (like udaka offerings) that align with dharma, which is repeatedly linked to the deceased’s post-death welfare and the family’s restoration to normal religious life.

Follow a consistent, tradition-aligned period of restraint after a death, and perform the prescribed water offerings and cleanliness practices—treating purification as a disciplined return to daily dharma rather than a mere formality.

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