Shloka 22

Dharma–Adharma Marks; Daśāha, Piṇḍa Formation, Śrāddha Calendar, Śayyā-dāna, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Rules

Devanagari script

जलाञ्जलिं तथा दातुं गच्छन्ति द्विजसत्तमाः / यत्र स्थाने मृतो यस्तु अध्वन्यपि गृहे ऽपि वा / विश्लेषस्तु ततः स्थानान्न क्वचिद्विहितो बुधैः

Transliteration

jalāñjaliṃ tathā dātuṃ gacchanti dvijasattamāḥ / yatra sthāne mṛto yastu adhvanyapi gṛhe 'pi vā / viśleṣastu tataḥ sthānānna kvacidvihito budhaiḥ

Translation

ജലാഞ്ജലി നൽകാൻ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജർ മരണം സംഭവിച്ച അതേ സ്ഥലത്തേക്കു പോകുന്നു—വഴിയിലായാലും വീട്ടിലായാലും. കാരണം മരണത്തെ തുടർന്ന് ആ സ്ഥലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വേർപെടൽ/ത്യാഗം വേണമെന്ന് ജ്ഞാനികൾ എവിടെയും നിർദ്ദേശിച്ചിട്ടില്ല.

Word by Word

• jalāñjalim: water-offering (handful of water)
• jalāñjalim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala + añjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• tathā: thus/also
• tathā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक)

• dātum: to give
• dātum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), purpose

• gacchanti: go
• gacchanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• dvija-sattamāḥ: best of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• dvija-sattamāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) = dvijāḥ sattamāḥ; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• yatra: where
• yatra: Deśa-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Relative adverb of place (देशवाचक)

• sthāne: in the place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• mṛtaḥ: dead
• mṛtaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛ (मृ धातु) + mṛta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; used predicatively with yaḥ

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधसूचक)

• adhvani: on the road
• adhvani: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvan (अध्वन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (समुच्चय/अपि = also/even)

• gṛhe: in the house
• gṛhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अपि)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक)

• viśleṣaḥ: separation/difference (of place)
• viśleṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśleṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tu: however/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle

• tataḥ: therefrom
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (therefrom/thereafter)

• sthānāt: from that place
• sthānāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• kvacit: anywhere/ever
• kvacit: Deśa/Kāla-adhikarana (देश/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: Indefinite adverb (अनिश्चित-देश/कालवाचक)

• vihitaḥ: prescribed/ordained
• vihitaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + dhā (धा धातु) + vihita (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate with viśleṣaḥ

• budhaiḥ: by the wise
• budhaiḥ: Karana/Agent-Instrument (करण; तृतीया-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Immediately after death, at the death-site (road/home)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Jalāñjali should be offered at the very place of death; wise authorities do not mandate separation/abandonment of that place due to death.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma guided by reasoned tradition (budhaiḥ): death is a natural transformation, not an ontological defilement of space; purity is managed by rites, not by fear.

Application: Perform required offerings at the death-site (even within the home) and avoid superstitious abandonment; follow prescribed śauca rather than relocating out of fear.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: death-site (roadside/home)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: jalāñjali and place-related injunctions in the same chapter sequence (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Dvijas
• Departed (preta concept implied)

FAQs

What is the importance of jalāñjali in Garuda Purana death rituals?

This verse states that the water-oblation should be offered at the very place of death, emphasizing timely support and ritual duty toward the departed rather than avoiding the location.

How does this verse guide families when a death occurs at home or during travel?

It explicitly says the learned go to the place where death occurred—on the road or in the house—to offer jalāñjali, and that wise authorities do not mandate abandoning that spot merely due to the death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform essential remembrance and water-offering rites with sincerity at the relevant place (as feasible and lawful), focusing on dharma and care for the departed rather than fear-based avoidance.