Shloka 37

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

तस्य किञ्चिन्न कर्तव्यमात्मनः श्रेय इच्छता / ततो जाते विपन्ने तु आ चूडाकरणाच्छिशोः

Transliteration

tasya kiñcinna kartavyamātmanaḥ śreya icchatā / tato jāte vipanne tu ā cūḍākaraṇācchiśoḥ

Translation

സ്വപരമശ്രേയസ്സിനെ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ അതിൽ ഒന്നും ചെയ്യേണ്ടതില്ല; എന്നാൽ പിന്നീട് ശിശു ജനിച്ച് മരിച്ചാൽ, ശിശുവിന്റെ ചൂഡാകരണം (മുടികടിക്കൽ) വരെ വിധികൾ പ്രാബല്യത്തിൽ വരും।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that (person/case)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (something/anything)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Karma (Predicative obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'to be done'

• आत्मनः: for oneself; of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Beneficiary/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• श्रेयः: welfare; good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object desired)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• इच्छता: by one who desires
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent, instrumental)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भाव (by one desiring)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमार्थक-अव्यय (thereafter/from that)

• जाते: when born
• जाते: Adhikarana (Temporal locus)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when (it is) born)

• विपन्ने: when it has died/perished
• विपन्ने: Adhikarana (Temporal locus)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when dead/perished)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• आ: up to
• आ: Sambandha (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि-निर्देशक-अव्यय (up to)

• चूडाकरणात्: until the tonsure ceremony
• चूडाकरणात्: Apadana (Limit-from/Until)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूडा (प्रातिपदिक) + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चूडायाः करणम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular)

• शिशोः: of the child
• शिशोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual obligations differ by developmental stage; for one seeking śreyas, certain actions are withheld, but if a child is born and dies, observances apply up to the cūḍākaraṇa boundary.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as context-sensitive (deśa-kāla-vayaḥ); right restraint (nivṛtti in action) can itself be dharma.

Application: Follow age/saṃskāra-based rules for mourning and rites; avoid over-ritualizing where śāstra advises restraint.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.24.36–39 (aśauca and child-death rites by age thresholds)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of cūḍākaraṇa (tonsure) in the Garuda Purana context?

This verse uses cūḍākaraṇa as a boundary-marker for child-related saṁskāras, indicating how far ritual obligations are considered applicable when a child is born but dies prematurely.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana death rituals and dharma?

It frames ritual duty in terms of śreyas (spiritual welfare) and then clarifies a special case—birth followed by death—where observances are discussed with reference to the child’s saṁskāras up to the tonsure rite.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When facing bereavement involving infants or young children, families can seek guidance from learned priests and tradition, using the saṁskāra framework (up to cūḍākaraṇa) to decide what is appropriate rather than acting from confusion or guilt.