Shloka 17
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
तिलाः श्वेतास्तिला कृष्णास्तिला गोमूत्रसंन्निभाः / दहन्तु ते मे पापानि शरीरेण कृतानि वै
tilāḥ śvetāstilā kṛṣṇāstilā gomūtrasaṃnnibhāḥ / dahantu te me pāpāni śarīreṇa kṛtāni vai
ഈ എള്ളുകൾ—വെളുത്ത എള്ള്, കറുത്ത എള്ള്, ഗോമൂത്രവർണ്ണമുള്ള എള്ള്—എന്റെ ശരീരത്താൽ ചെയ്ത പാപങ്ങളെ നിശ്ചയമായി ദഹിപ്പിക്കട്ടെ.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within the Preta Kanda discourse on rites and expiation)
Beneficiary: Pitr
Concept: Acknowledgement of embodied wrongdoing and the aspiration for pāpa-kṣaya (sin attenuation) through sanctioned ritual means.
Vedantic Theme: Karma and śuddhi: purification of antaḥkaraṇa supported by ritual confession/intent; bodily action (kāyika karma) bears ethical consequence.
Application: Use the verse as a reflective vow during rites: explicitly recognize bodily harms and commit to restraint; pair ritual purification with ethical reform.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2.16 on tilā as pavitra; Garuda Purana 2.2.18 on imperishable merit of sesame offerings
FAQs
This verse treats tila as a purifying medium: offering/using specific varieties of sesame is invoked to “burn” (dahantu) sins, especially those accrued through bodily actions.
While not describing the journey directly, it supports the broader Preta Kanda theme that ritual expiation and purification lessen the burden of pāpa that affects the deceased’s post-death experience and accountability.
Use it as an ethical reminder: bodily conduct matters (śarīreṇa kṛtāni). In traditional practice, tila is used in śrāddha/charity with a prayerful intent toward purification and restraint from harmful actions.