Shloka 63
Dharma–Adharma Marks; Daśāha, Piṇḍa Formation, Śrāddha Calendar, Śayyā-dāna, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Rules
यस्मिन् दिने मृतो जन्तुरटव्यां विषमे ऽपि वा / यदा तदा भवेद्दाहः सूतकं मृतवासरात्
yasmin dine mṛto janturaṭavyāṃ viṣame 'pi vā / yadā tadā bhaveddāhaḥ sūtakaṃ mṛtavāsarāt
ഏത് ദിവസമാണ് ജീവി മരിക്കുന്നത്—അരണ്യത്തിലായാലും ദുഷ്കരസ്ഥാനത്തിലായാലും—സാധ്യമാകുമ്പോൾ ദാഹകർമ്മം നടത്താം; എന്നാൽ സൂതകം മരണദിവസം മുതൽ തന്നെയാണ് എണ്ണുന്നത്।
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Cremation when feasible; sūtaka counted from the day of death (mṛta-vāsara).
Concept: Sūtaka (ritual impurity) begins from the day of death, while cremation may be delayed until feasible.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as niyati for embodied life; ritual time (kāla) governs social-religious order amid impermanence.
Application: Record the exact day of death for counting impurity; perform cremation as soon as possible without violating safety/feasibility.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: wilderness/rough terrain
Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Preta/Śrāddha-kalpa sections on sūtaka counting and antyeṣṭi timing; Garuda Purana 2.34.64-67 (eleventh-day gifts, purification periods, annual piṇḍa)
FAQs
This verse states that sūtaka is not delayed by practical obstacles; it begins from the day of death, preserving the dharmic reckoning of post-death observances.
It allows cremation to be done when feasible (yadā tadā), especially if death occurs in a forest or difficult terrain, while maintaining that impurity is counted from the death-day itself.
If logistics delay cremation (travel, permissions, remote location), proceed as soon as possible, but count mourning/impurity observances from the date of death for ritual consistency.