Shloka 37

Praise of Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-release), Worthy Dāna, and the Procedure for Kṣayāha & Ūrdhva-daihika Rites

Devanagari script

मूल्यं दद्याद् वृषस्यापि तं वृषं च विसर्जयेत् / एकोद्दिष्टविधानेन स्वाहाकारेण वुद्धिमान्

Transliteration

mūlyaṃ dadyād vṛṣasyāpi taṃ vṛṣaṃ ca visarjayet / ekoddiṣṭavidhānena svāhākāreṇa vuddhimān

Translation

വൃഷഭത്തിനും യോജിച്ച വില നൽകി, തുടർന്ന് ആ വൃഷഭത്തെ വിട്ടയക്കണം. ബുദ്ധിമാൻ ‘ഏകോദ്ദിഷ്ട’വിധിപ്രകാരം ‘സ്വാഹാ’ ഉച്ചാരണമോടെ ഈ കർമ്മം നിർവഹിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• मूल्यम्: price / fee
• मूल्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वृषस्य: of the bull
• वृषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• तम्: that (him/it)
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वृषम्: bull
• वृषम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विसर्जयेत्: should release / let go
• विसर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• एकोद्दिष्टविधानेन: by the ekoddiṣṭa rite/procedure
• एकोद्दिष्टविधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-उद्दिष्ट-विधान (प्रातिपदिक; एक + उद्दिष्ट + विधान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (एकोद्दिष्टस्य विधानम्)

• स्वाहाकारेण: with the utterance ‘svāhā’
• स्वाहाकारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहा-कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वाहेति कारः/उच्चारणम्)

• वुद्धिमान्: the wise person
• वुद्धिमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक (wise)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Within Ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha performance (pre-sapīṇḍīkaraṇa period)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna must be righteous and non-exploitative: even a released bull’s ‘price’ is to be duly paid; Ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha is sealed by svāhā.

Vedantic Theme: Niṣkāma-karma orientation: ethical action and proper offering purify intention; ritual speech-act (‘svāhā’) marks surrender of agency.

Application: Do not treat ritual animals as costless instruments—pay fair value; then perform vṛṣotsarga according to Ekoddiṣṭa procedure, concluding with svāhā.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: dāna-sthāna/ritual release ground near household or village boundary

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.14.38 (post-death day rites); Garuda Purana śrāddha sections on Ekoddiṣṭa and sapīṇḍīkaraṇa sequencing

Characters & Entities

• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of Ekoddiṣṭa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats Ekoddiṣṭa as a precise, rule-bound rite for a specific departed person, to be done with proper mantric formula (“svāhā”) and correct ritual acts such as sanctioned gifting/releasing.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By emphasizing correct śrāddha procedure, it implies that orderly, dharmic rites performed for the deceased support the preta’s post-death transition and connection with the Pitṛs, rather than being casual or incomplete acts.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform ancestral rites ethically: give what is due (no deception in donations), follow the prescribed method for śrāddha, and keep the intention pure—dharma in means is as important as the ritual itself.