Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

एकोद्दिष्टमपुत्राणां पुंसां स्याद्योपितामपि / एकोद्दिष्टे कुशा ग्राह्याः समूला यज्ञकर्मणि / बहिर्लूनाः सकृल्लनाः श्राद्धं वृद्धिमृते सदा

Transliteration

ekoddiṣṭamaputrāṇāṃ puṃsāṃ syādyopitāmapi / ekoddiṣṭe kuśā grāhyāḥ samūlā yajñakarmaṇi / bahirlūnāḥ sakṛllanāḥ śrāddhaṃ vṛddhimṛte sadā

Translation

പുത്രനില്ലാത്ത പുരുഷന്മാർക്ക്—ദത്തപുത്രൻ ഉണ്ടായാലും—ഏകോദ്ദിഷ്ട ശ്രാദ്ധം നിർബന്ധം. ഏകോദ്ദിഷ്ട കർമത്തിൽ യജ്ഞക്രിയയ്ക്കായി കുശ പുല്ല് വേരോടെ എടുക്കണം; പുറത്തുനിന്ന് മുറിച്ച് ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം ഉപയോഗിക്കണം. വർദ്ധി-ലാഭാഭിലാഷമില്ലാതെ എപ്പോഴും ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• एकोद्दिष्टम्: ekoddiṣṭa (rite)
• एकोद्दिष्टम्: कर्ता/विषय (subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + उद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त; √दिश्/उद्दिश्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'एकस्य उद्दिष्टम्' (ekoddiṣṭa rite)

• अपुत्राणाम्: of the sonless
• अपुत्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: पुत्ररहितानाम् (of the sonless)

• पुंसाम्: of men/persons
• पुंसाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: क्रिया (verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'should be'

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (who/which)

• उपिताम्: a stepmother
• उपिताम्: कर्म (karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपिता (प्रातिपदिक; 'stepmother')
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• एकोद्दिष्टे: in the ekoddiṣṭa (rite)
• एकोद्दिष्टे: अधिकरण (adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकोद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (in the ekoddiṣṭa rite)

• कुशाः: kuśa grasses
• कुशाः: कर्ता (kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ग्राह्याः: should be taken/used
• ग्राह्याः: विधेय (predicate necessity)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'to be taken/should be used'

• समूलाः: with roots intact
• समूलाः: विशेषण (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: मूलसहिताः (with roots)

• यज्ञकर्मणि: in the ritual act
• यज्ञकर्मणि: अधिकरण (adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'यज्ञस्य कर्मणि' (in the sacrificial act)

• बहिः-लूनाः: cut from outside
• बहिः-लूनाः: विशेषण (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय) + लून (कृदन्त; √लू)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त: लून (cut); 'cut from outside'

• सकृत्-लनाः: cut only once
• सकृत्-लनाः: विशेषण (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय) + लन (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अर्थः 'एकवारं लनाः/लूनाः' (cut only once)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: विषय/कर्म (topic/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विषय/कर्म (rite)

• वृद्धिमृते: except (in the case of) vṛddhi
• वृद्धिमृते: अपादान/व्यतिरेक (exception)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृद्धि + मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषवत् अव्ययीभावार्थे/निपातवत् प्रयोगः: 'वृद्धिं विना' (except increase/prosperity rites); here: 'excluding vṛddhi (special) case'

• सदा: always
• सदा: कालाधिकरण (kāla-adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: As prescribed for ekoddiṣṭa; performed without ‘vṛddhi’ (no augmentation).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha is obligatory for certain cases; ritual implements (kuśa) and intention must be pure and non-repetitive; perform without desire for ‘vṛddhi’ (augmentation/extra gain).

Vedantic Theme: Niṣkāma-karma as purifier; dharma as support for inner purity and right relation to ancestors.

Application: When performing ekoddiṣṭa, use fresh kuśa with roots, cut properly, do not reuse; keep the rite simple and motive-free; follow the prescribed eligibility (aputraka etc.).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: gṛhya-śrāddha-sthāna (home/śrāddha place)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Preta-kalpa/Śrāddha-vidhi sections on ekoddiṣṭa vs pārvaṇa distinctions; Adjacent verses 2.45.8–11 on timing, obstacles, and procedure

Characters & Entities

• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights ekoddiṣṭa as a focused śrāddha meant for one specific departed individual, emphasizing strict ritual discipline (proper kuśa handling and no “vṛddhi”/augmentation) to ensure the offering is correctly directed.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s post-death journey described in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda framework, śrāddha supports the departed (preta) through proper ritual provisioning and connection with the Pitṛs; this verse specifies how a single-target rite must be performed so the offering is not diffused or altered.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If performing śrāddha, follow the prescribed method carefully—use ritual materials like kuśa as instructed and keep the rite simple and intent-focused, treating it as a duty (dharma) rather than an occasion for display or expansion.