Shloka 152

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

एकादशे द्वादशे हि षण्मासे आब्दिके तथा / विप्रान् बहून् भोजयेत् तत्र यन्महती क्षुधा

Transliteration

ekādaśe dvādaśe hi ṣaṇmāse ābdike tathā / viprān bahūn bhojayet tatra yanmahatī kṣudhā

Translation

ഏകാദശി, ദ്വാദശി, ഷൺമാസികവും വാർഷികവും ആയ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ അനേകം ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർക്ക് ഭോജനം നൽകണം; ആ സമയങ്ങളിൽ പ്രേതന് മഹാക്ഷുധ അനുഭവപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ekādaśe: on the eleventh (day)
• ekādaśe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (एक + दश)

• dvādaśe: on the twelfth (day)
• dvādaśe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (द्वि + दश)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• ṣaṇmāse: in the sixth month
• ṣaṇmāse: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇmāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (षट् + मास)

• ābdike: in the annual (rite/time)
• ābdike: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ābdika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying time)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• viprān: brahmins
• viprān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• bahūn: many
• bahūn: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (viprān)

• bhojayet: should feed
• bhojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु) [णिच् causative: भोजयति]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tatra: there/then
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• yat: when/where (that)
• yat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• mahatī: great
• mahatī: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (kṣudhā)

• kṣudhā: hunger
• kṣudhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣudh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: 11th and 12th day; ṣaṇmāsika; ābdika

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha-dāna (feeding brāhmaṇas) at key observances alleviates the departed’s hunger and supports their post-mortem welfare.

Vedantic Theme: Kartavya-karma and ṛṇa (pitṛ-ṛṇa) as purifying duty; compassionate action as sattvic dharma.

Application: Observe 11th/12th day rites, ṣaṇmāsika, and ābdika śrāddha; arrange annadāna and respectful brāhmaṇa-bhojana with sincerity and capacity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: ritual-space (gṛha/śrāddha-vedī)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: śrāddha-kāla, ekādaśāha/dvādaśāha, ṣaṇmāsika, ābdika discussions in adjacent verses of 2.5; Garuda Purana: pitṛ-tṛpti via brāhmaṇa-bhojana motif recurring in śrāddha sections

Characters & Entities

• Vipras (Brahmanas)
• Preta (implied departed soul)

FAQs

What is the importance of feeding Brahmanas on the 11th, 12th, six-month, and annual śrāddha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that these observances are crucial because the departed experiences acute hunger at these key ritual milestones; feeding learned Brahmanas is prescribed as the supportive offering.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s condition after death in the Garuda Purana?

It implies the preta-state dependency on ritual support from the living, indicating that specific post-death days and anniversaries are spiritually sensitive periods when offerings are most needed.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

Perform the prescribed śrāddha dates with sincerity—offer food/charity in a dharmic way (including feeding the needy or qualified priests) and maintain remembrance and responsibility toward ancestors.