Shloka 157
Dāna as Prāyaścitta; Deathbed Gifts; Antyeṣṭi Procedures; Nārāyaṇa-bali for Untimely Deaths
अशुद्धेन तु यद्दत्तमुद्दिश्याशुद्धिमेव च / नोपतिष्ठति तत्सर्वमन्तरिक्षे विनश्यति
aśuddhena tu yaddattamuddiśyāśuddhimeva ca / nopatiṣṭhati tatsarvamantarikṣe vinaśyati
അശുദ്ധനായവൻ നൽകിയതോ അശുദ്ധസങ്കൽപത്തോടെ അർപ്പിച്ചതോ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ചവനിലേക്കു എത്തുകയില്ല; അതെല്ലാം അന്തരീക്ഷത്തിൽ തന്നെ നശിക്കുന്നു।
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instructing Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Any śrāddha/dāna context; especially before offerings to pitṛs
Concept: Dāna and ritual offerings require both external purity and inner purity (intention); otherwise they become fruitless.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala depends on saṅkalpa and adhikāra; outer act without inner alignment fails to bear intended result.
Application: Before charity, śrāddha, or any offering, ensure bodily/ritual cleanliness and examine motive; avoid performing rites in anger, haste, or hypocrisy.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: cosmic intermediate region
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.4.158-161 (śuddhi and expiation before ūrdhva-dehika rites); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Śrāddha sections emphasizing śuddhi and proper saṅkalpa
FAQs
This verse states that offerings made in impurity—or with impure intent—fail to reach the intended recipient (such as the Pitris) and are considered wasted, emphasizing śauca as essential for śrāddha efficacy.
It teaches that the success of the offering depends on the giver’s purity and intention; if these are tainted, the offering does not ‘arrive’ and is said to perish in antarikṣa, the intermediate realm.
Perform ancestral rites with cleanliness, correct procedure, and sincere dedication; more broadly, ensure charity and religious acts are done with integrity rather than negligence or hypocrisy.