Shloka 23
Āśauca and Udaka-kriyā: Post-Cremation Conduct, Eligibility, and Purifiers
फलसोमक्षौमवीरुद्दधि क्षीरं घृतं जलम् / तिलोदनरसक्षारमधु लाक्षा शृतं हविः
phalasomakṣaumavīruddadhi kṣīraṃ ghṛtaṃ jalam / tilodanarasakṣāramadhu lākṣā śṛtaṃ haviḥ
ഫലങ്ങൾ, സോമം, ക്ഷൗമവസ്ത്രം, പച്ചക്കറികളും വള്ളികളും, തൈര്, പാല്, നെയ്യ്, ജലം; എള്ളോടൻ, രസങ്ങൾ, ക്ഷാരസിദ്ധികൾ, തേൻ, ലാക്ഷാ, പാകം ചെയ്ത ഹവിസ്—ഇവയാണ് അർപ്പിക്കേണ്ട ഹവ്യങ്ങൾ।
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Lists prescribed offering substances (dravyas) suitable for ritual use—foods, dairy, water, honey, lac, and cooked oblations.
Vedantic Theme: Sattvic regulation of ritual materials as support for purity of mind and intention in worship.
Application: For homa/offerings, select traditionally sanctioned, clean, and properly prepared substances; maintain purity of sourcing and preparation.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: ritual enclosure
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.106 (ritual materials context)
FAQs
This verse enumerates accepted śrāddha/ritual offering substances, emphasizing that specific, sattvic items are traditionally used to support pitṛ-kārya and ensure the rite is performed according to dharma.
In Garuda Purana’s post-death framework, properly performed rites (including correct offerings) are presented as supportive acts for the departed and the ancestral line, aligning the family’s duty with the broader afterlife narrative taught to Garuda.
When performing śrāddha or memorial rites, choose traditionally approved offerings (milk, ghee, water, sesame-rice, etc.) and focus on purity and intent, keeping the ritual simple, sincere, and dharma-aligned.