Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 34

The Explanation of the Post-funeral Rites (Aurdhvadehika) and Related Matters

Devanagari script

श्मशानवासिभूतेभ्यः पञ्चमं प्रतिवेश्यकम् / षष्ठं सञ्चयने प्रोक्तं दश पिण्डा दशाहिकाः / श्राद्धषोडषकञ्चैतत् प्रथमं परिकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

śmaśānavāsibhūtebhyaḥ pañcamaṃ prativeśyakam / ṣaṣṭhaṃ sañcayane proktaṃ daśa piṇḍā daśāhikāḥ / śrāddhaṣoḍaṣakañcaitat prathamaṃ parikīrtitam

Translation

ការបូជាទីប្រាំ ត្រូវកំណត់សម្រាប់សត្វវិញ្ញាណដែលស្នាក់នៅក្នុងស្មសាន (ទីបូជាសព)។ ការបូជាទីប្រាំមួយ ត្រូវបានប្រកាសថា នៅពេលសញ្ជយន (ប្រមូលឆ្អឹង)។ ដូច្នេះ បិណ្ឌដប់ គឺជាការបូជានៃពិធីដសាហ (ដប់ថ្ងៃ)។ ស្រាទ្ធដប់ប្រាំមួយនេះ ត្រូវបាននិយាយថា ជាសំណុំដំបូង (សំខាន់)។

Word by Word

• śmaśāna-vāsi-bhūtebhyaḥ: from the spirits dwelling in the cremation-ground
• śmaśāna-vāsi-bhūtebhyaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)/Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: śmaśāna (श्मशान) + vāsin (वासिन्) + bhūta (भूत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (भूत-शब्दः नपुंसक), पञ्चमी (Ablative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (श्मशाने वासिनः भूताः)

• pañcamam: the fifth
• pañcamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcama (पञ्चम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• prativeśyakam: the rite for the neighbor(s) (prativeśyaka)
• prativeśyakam: Karma (कर्म)/Vishaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prativeśyaka (प्रतिवेश्यक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ṣaṣṭham: the sixth
• ṣaṣṭham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṣṭha (षष्ठ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• sañcayane: at the collection (of bones) ceremony
• sañcayane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sañcayana (सञ्चयन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• proktam: is said/declared
• proktam: Kriyā (क्रिया)/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (प्र+वच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (दश प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण (numeral), बहुवचनार्थे

• piṇḍāḥ: rice-balls (piṇḍas)
• piṇḍāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (पिण्ड प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• daśa-āhikāḥ: the ten-day rites/observances
• daśa-āhikāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)/Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa (दश) + āhika (आहिक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमासः (दश अहानि यस्य/येषां ते)

• śrāddha-ṣoḍaśakam: the set of sixteen śrāddhas
• śrāddha-ṣoḍaśakam: Karta (कर्ता)/Vishaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (श्राद्ध) + ṣoḍaśaka (षोडशक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (श्राद्धानां षोडशकम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता)/Vishaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• prathamam: the first
• prathamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रथम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• parikīrtitam: is proclaimed/has been described
• parikīrtitam: Kriyā (क्रिया)/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari+kīrt (परि+कीर्त् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue, instructing Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Fifth offering at the cremation ground; sixth at sañcayana; ten piṇḍas across the ten-day (daśāha) period.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha is a staged system: offerings address local liminal beings, then proceed to sañcayana and the ten-day piṇḍa sequence (daśāha), forming a coherent sixteenfold framework.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual order (niyama) disciplines mind and channels grief; acknowledges multiple layers of beings (bhūta/pretā) within saṃsāric cosmology.

Application: Observe daśāha with ten piṇḍas across ten days; include prescribed offerings at śmaśāna and at sañcayana; keep accurate timing and roles for karta and assistants.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: cremation ground/ritual collection place

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: daśāha piṇḍa sequence and preta nourishment motifs; Garuda Purana: sañcayana and subsequent śrāddha progressions (ekoddiṣṭa→sapinḍana)

Characters & Entities

• Bhutas (cremation-ground beings)
• Preta (implied through ten-day rites)
• Pitris (implied through śrāddha system)

FAQs

What is the importance of the ten-day (daśāha) piṇḍa offerings in the Garuda Purana?

This verse places the ten piṇḍas within the daśāha framework, indicating a structured sequence of offerings that supports the deceased’s post-death transition and ritual completion.

How does this verse explain the role of cremation-ground beings in death rites?

It states that a specific offering (the fifth) is directed to beings associated with the cremation-ground, reflecting the Purana’s view that the funeral field includes subtle entities that are ritually acknowledged.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow the funeral and śrāddha sequence with care—especially the ten-day observances and sañcayana—preferably under competent guidance, treating the rites as disciplined acts of dharma and remembrance.