Shloka 21

Preta-bhāva: Causes, Remedies, and the Rationale of Post-death Rites

Question-Catalogue

Devanagari script

द्वितीये ऽह्नि कुतः स्नानं चतुर्थे साग्निके द्विजे / दशमे किं मलस्नानं कार्यं सर्वजनैः सह

Transliteration

dvitīye 'hni kutaḥ snānaṃ caturthe sāgnike dvije / daśame kiṃ malasnānaṃ kāryaṃ sarvajanaiḥ saha

Translation

രണ്ടാം ദിവസം സ്നാനം എങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യണം? നാലാം ദിവസം അഗ്നി-പാലകനായ ദ്വിജന് എന്ത് കര്‍ത്തവ്യം? പത്താം ദിവസം എല്ലാവരോടും കൂടി ‘മലസ്നാനം’ (ശുദ്ധിസ്നാനം) ചെയ്യണമോ?

Word by Word

• द्वितीये: on the second (day)
• द्वितीये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (locative: 'on the second')

• अह्नि: on the day
• अह्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• कुतः: why/from where
• कुतः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative: 'whence/why')

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाक्ये कर्मरूपेण (object sense)

• चतुर्थे: on the fourth (day)
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• साग्निके: (one) with fire-rite
• साग्निके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अग्निक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: स-अग्निकः = 'with fire/with rites involving fire'

• द्विजे: in/for the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• दशमे: on the tenth (day)
• दशमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम

• मलस्नानम्: cleansing bath (bath for impurity)
• मलस्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: मलस्य स्नानम्

• कार्यम्: to be done; required
• कार्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive): 'to be done/necessary'

• सर्वजनैः: by/with all people
• सर्वजनैः: Sahakari (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: सर्वे जनाः

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (postposition: 'together with')

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) questioning Lord Vishnu

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: 2nd, 4th, and 10th day after death (daśāha framework)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śauca and kāla-niyama (time-bound purity rules) after death, differentiated by person and rite (e.g., āhitāgni dvija).

Vedantic Theme: Anityatā and the disciplining of life through dharma; outer purity supporting inner steadiness.

Application: Follow day-specific bathing/purification rules after a death; consult tradition for special cases like an āhitāgni (sacred-fire maintainer) and communal malasnāna on the 10th day.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household/cremation-impurity context

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.28 (śauca, daśāha, ekādaśāha, śrāddha sequencing); Garuda Purana 2.29-2.31 (continuation of preta-śrāddha and annual rites, depending on recension)

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Sāgnika (sacred-fire keeper)

FAQs

What is the importance of malasnāna (purificatory bath) in Garuda Purana death rituals?

This verse frames malasnāna as a specific, time-marked purification act—especially highlighted for the tenth day—indicating that ritual purity during the mourning period is regulated and not arbitrary.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana narrative?

By asking about day-specific rites (bathing and purification), the verse shows that the living perform structured observances alongside the preta-related journey, implying that correct ritual timing supports the post-death transition described in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow a tradition-consistent, community-guided schedule for mourning-period purity practices (such as bathing and related observances), especially when caring for family rites, rather than improvising without guidance.