Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 145
Dharma–Adharma Marks; Daśāha, Piṇḍa Formation, Śrāddha Calendar, Śayyā-dāna, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Rules
सत्यंसत्यं पुनः सत्यं श्रूयतां वचनं मम / न पिण्डो मिलितो येषां मृतानान्तु नृणां भुवि
satyaṃsatyaṃ punaḥ satyaṃ śrūyatāṃ vacanaṃ mama / na piṇḍo milito yeṣāṃ mṛtānāntu nṛṇāṃ bhuvi
Kebenaran, kebenaran, sekali lagi kebenaran—dengarkan ucapanku. Bagi para mendiang yang di bumi tidak dipersembahkan piṇḍa dengan semestinya, tiada piṇḍa yang sampai kepada mereka.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Whenever piṇḍa is due (post-death sequence and periodic śrāddhas); verse stresses omission rather than a specific date.
Concept: Ritual causality: piṇḍa-dāna is a necessary karmic conduit; without it, the departed do not receive sustenance/benefit.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as a functional means within saṃsāra; actions (kriyā) produce specific results (phala) across realms.
Application: Ensure piṇḍa offerings are duly performed for the deceased according to rule and timing; do not neglect rites assuming intention alone suffices.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: ritual sphere/household
Related Themes: Garuda Purana śrāddha passages emphasizing piṇḍa/udaka efficacy and consequences of omission (surrounding 2.34.143–146)
FAQs
This verse stresses that piṇḍa is not automatically received by the departed; it must be properly offered, making piṇḍa-dāna a key rite for supporting the deceased in the post-death condition described in the Preta Kanda.
By highlighting whether piṇḍa ‘reaches’ the dead, the verse implies an ongoing post-death journey/state where ritual support matters—especially for the preta—linking the living’s rites (śrāddha/piṇḍa) to the deceased’s condition.
Perform śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna with sincerity and correctness (or arrange it through qualified priests) and cultivate truthfulness and responsibility toward ancestors, as the verse frames the teaching as a solemn truth.