Shloka 39

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

दिवसैर्दशभिर्जातं तं देहं दशपिण्डजम् / जामदग्न्यस्येव रामं दृष्ट्वा तेजः प्रसर्पति

Transliteration

divasairdaśabhirjātaṃ taṃ dehaṃ daśapiṇḍajam / jāmadagnyasyeva rāmaṃ dṛṣṭvā tejaḥ prasarpati

Translation

പത്ത് ദിവസത്തിൽ ജനിച്ചും പത്ത് പിണ്ഡദാനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു രൂപപ്പെട്ടും ഉള്ള ആ ദേഹം തേജസ് പരത്തിത്തുടങ്ങുന്നു—ജാമദഗ്ന്യനായ രാമനെ ദർശിച്ചപ്പോൾ തേജസ് പടർന്നതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• दिवसैः: by (means of) days; in days
• दिवसैः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण

• दशभिः: by ten
• दशभिः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (दिवसैः)

• जातम्: born, produced
• जातम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (देहम्)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश्य (देहम्)

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दश-पिण्ड-जम्: born of ten piṇḍas (funeral offerings)
• दश-पिण्ड-जम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या) + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (जन् धातु + ड; तद्धित/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (देहम्)

• जामदग्न्यस्य: of Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)
• जामदग्न्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जामदग्न्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like, as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• रामम्: Rāma
• रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• तेजः: splendor, energy
• तेजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रसर्पति: spreads, expands
• प्रसर्पति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Daśāha (first ten days after death)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Offerings (piṇḍa) contribute to the preta’s post-mortem embodiment; ritual action has formative effects on the subtle journey.

Vedantic Theme: Subtle-body (liṅga/ sūkṣma) conditioning through karma and saṃskāra; ritual as a causal adjunct within vyavahāra.

Application: Observe the ten-day rites with care; understand them as supportive acts for the departed’s stabilization and onward movement.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: ten-day (daśāha) rites and the preta’s acquisition of a body through piṇḍas; Garuda Purana: piṇḍa mapping to limbs (common śrāddha explanatory motif)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Preta
• Paraśurāma (Jāmadagnya Rāma)
• Piṇḍa (funeral offering)

FAQs

What is the importance of ten-day piṇḍa-dāna in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that within ten days a distinct post-death body is formed from the ten piṇḍa offerings, enabling the departed to gain strength and radiance for the onward journey.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It indicates that the departed is not merely a disembodied entity; a functional preta-body develops through prescribed rites, and as it forms, its tejas (vital-spiritual potency) expands, preparing the being for further afterlife transitions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform post-death rites with care—especially the ten-day offerings—seeing them as supportive acts for the departed’s transition, and as a reminder to live with dharma so one’s journey after death is less obstructed.