Shloka 34

Determining Rites for Difficult/Inauspicious Deaths; Annual and Daily Śrāddha Rules

Devanagari script

नित्यं दैवञ्च वृद्धिञ्च काम्यं नैमित्तिकं तथा / श्राद्धान्युक्तप्रकारेण कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात् / इति ते कथितं तार्क्ष्य किमन्यत्परिपृच्छसि

Transliteration

nityaṃ daivañca vṛddhiñca kāmyaṃ naimittikaṃ tathā / śrāddhānyuktaprakāreṇa kurvan siddhimavāpnuyāt / iti te kathitaṃ tārkṣya kimanyatparipṛcchasi

Translation

നിത്യ, ദൈവ, വർദ്ധി, കാമ്യ, നൈമിത്തിക—ഇത്തരം ശ്രാദ്ധങ്ങൾ ശാസ്ത്രോക്തവിധിയിൽ ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിക്കും. ഹേ താർക്ഷ്യ (ഗരുഡാ), ഇതു നിന്നോട് പറഞ്ഞു; ഇനി എന്താണ് ചോദിക്കാനുള്ളത്?

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: regular/constant (rite)
• नित्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (adjectival use)

• दैवम्: (śrāddha) for the gods
• दैवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वृद्धिम्: (rite for) increase/prosperity
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• काम्यम्: desire-motivated/optional
• काम्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying a śrāddha-type)

• नैमित्तिकम्: occasional (due to a cause)
• नैमित्तिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise/also)

• श्राद्धानि: śrāddhas (rites)
• श्राद्धानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• युक्त-प्रकारेण: by the proper method
• युक्त-प्रकारेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त, √युज् धातु) + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे साधारणतः; करणवाचक (instrumental: by means of)

• कुर्वन्: doing/performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सिद्धिम्: success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयात्: would obtain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ते: to you/for you (of you)
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचन (enclitic form); संबन्ध (genitive: of you)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त, √कथ् धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (it has been told)

• तार्क्ष्य: O Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• तार्क्ष्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• अन्यत्: other/else
• अन्यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying किम्)

• परिपृच्छसि: do you ask/inquire
• परिपृच्छसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: As per category: daily; deity-related occasions; prosperity rites; desire-motivated occasions; special nimitta-based times

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Performing the various śrāddhas—nitya, daiva, vṛddhi, kāmya, naimittika—according to prescription yields siddhi (successful fruition).

Vedantic Theme: Efficacy of niyata-karma when done with vidhi; ordered action purifies and supports higher aims (citta-śuddhi leading toward mokṣa indirectly).

Application: Follow category-appropriate śrāddha procedures rather than improvising; keep a calendar and intention (daily, deity-related, prosperity, desire-fulfilling, occasion-based) aligned with śāstra.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: dialogue setting (teacher-disciple)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.45 (taxonomy of śrāddha and procedural rules)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tarkshya)
• Devas
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of performing different types of Śrāddha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that performing Śrāddhas—daily, deity-related, prosperity-oriented, desire-fulfilling, and occasion-based—according to the prescribed procedure leads to siddhi (successful spiritual-ritual fruition).

How does this verse fit the dialogue between Vishnu and Garuda?

Vishnu concludes an explanation to Garuda (addressed as Tārkṣya) about proper Śrāddha classifications and results, then invites Garuda to ask further questions, indicating an instructional discourse on post-death and ancestral duties.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow a disciplined approach to ancestral rites and related observances—performing them at appropriate times and in a correct method—emphasizing sincerity, regularity, and dharmic procedure rather than improvisation.