Shloka 68

Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna

Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings

Devanagari script

न विधिर्नैव मन्त्रश्च न स्वधावाहनाशिषः / नाम गोत्रं समुच्चार्य यद्दत्तं तद्दशाहिकम्

Transliteration

na vidhirnaiva mantraśca na svadhāvāhanāśiṣaḥ / nāma gotraṃ samuccārya yaddattaṃ taddaśāhikam

Translation

ಹತ್ತು ದಿನಗಳ ವಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಮಂತ್ರ ಅಥವಾ ಸ್ವಧಾ ಆವಾಹನೆ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಕೇವಲ ಹೆಸರು ಮತ್ತು ಗೋತ್ರವನ್ನು ಉಚ್ಚರಿಸಿ ನೀಡುವುದೇ ದಶಾಹಿಕ.

Word by Word

• na: not/no
• na: Sambandha (Negation particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• vidhiḥ: ritual rule/rite
• vidhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• mantraḥ: mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• svadhā-āvāhana-āśiṣaḥ: invocations/blessings calling ‘svadhā’
• svadhā-āvāhana-āśiṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svadhā (प्रातिपदिक) + āvāhana (प्रातिपदिक) + āśis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (स्वधायाः आवाहनम्, तस्य आशिषः)

• nāma: name
• nāma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• gotram: clan/lineage
• gotram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• samuccārya: having pronounced
• samuccārya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ud-√car (चर्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive): having uttered

• yat: whatever/that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (दा, धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• daśa-āhikam: pertaining to the ten-day period
• daśa-āhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक) + āhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दशाहस्य सम्बन्धि)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vainateya)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Daśāhika (ten-day) period

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Daśāhika is defined by straightforward offering with nāma-gotra utterance, not by complex mantra-vidhi or svadhā invocations.

Vedantic Theme: Primacy of saṅkalpa and adhikāra in ritual action; external complexity is secondary to dharmic intent and correct identification.

Application: When resources or priestly availability are limited, perform the ten-day offering correctly by naming the deceased and gotra, focusing on sincerity and continuity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: domestic ritual ground

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: daśāhika/ekoddiṣṭa distinctions and procedural notes (Pretakalpa śrāddha sections)

Characters & Entities

• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of daśāhika (ten-day rite) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse defines daśāhika as a simplified post-death offering: it is validated primarily by intention and correct identification of the deceased (name and gotra), rather than elaborate mantra-based ritual.

Does this verse require svadhā and formal Pitṛ-invocation for the ten-day śrāddha?

No. It explicitly states that in daśāhika there is no formal vidhi, no mantras, and no “svadhā” invocations/blessings; the offering made after stating name and gotra is considered sufficient for that period.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

If full ritual resources are unavailable immediately after a death, one may still perform meaningful remembrance and offering by clearly dedicating it to the departed through name and lineage, keeping sincerity and dharmic conduct central.