Shloka 27

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

पिण्डप्रसेकस्तूष्णीञ्च पुष्पधूपादिकं तथा / दशमे ऽहनि सम्प्राप्ते स्नानं ग्रामाद्वहिश्चरेत्

Transliteration

piṇḍaprasekastūṣṇīñca puṣpadhūpādikaṃ tathā / daśame 'hani samprāpte snānaṃ grāmādvahiścaret

Translation

പിണ്ഡപ്രസേകം മൗനത്തോടെ, പുഷ്പധൂപാദികളോടുകൂടി ചെയ്യണം. പത്താം ദിവസം വന്നാൽ ഗ്രാമത്തിന് പുറത്തേക്ക് പോയി വിധിപ്രകാരം സ്നാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• पिण्डप्रसेकः: sprinkling/offer of the piṇḍa
• पिण्डप्रसेकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य प्रसेकः)

• तूष्णीम्: silently
• तूष्णीम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूष्णीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

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

• पुष्पधूपादिकम्: flowers, incense, etc.
• पुष्पधूपादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + धूप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (पुष्पं च धूपश्च—तदादि)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दशमे: on the tenth
• दशमे: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal)

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सम्प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• सम्प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘सम्प्राप्ते (अहनि)’ = when it has arrived

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• ग्रामात्: from the village
• ग्रामात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• चरेत्: should perform/go about
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Daśāha sequence; specifically the 10th day (daśama ahan) bath after ongoing piṇḍa offerings

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mauna and śauca as ritual disciplines in preta-śrāddha; timed purification on the tenth day.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as citta-śuddhi: outer purity supporting inner steadiness amid impermanence (anityatā).

Application: Perform piṇḍa offerings silently with upacāras (flowers, incense); on day 10, bathe outside the village as prescribed, maintaining cleanliness and restraint.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: village boundary/liminal ground near water

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Pretakalpa: ādaśāha/daśāha śrāddha procedures; piṇḍa-dāna and śauca rules in adjacent verses of 2.5; Garuda Purana: descriptions of preta nourishment through piṇḍas in later Pretakalpa sections

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of offering the piṇḍa in silence in the Garuda Purana?

This verse prescribes tūṣṇīm (silence) during piṇḍa-offering, emphasizing solemn focus and ritual purity while making the offering with customary upacāras like flowers and incense.

Why does the Garuda Purana mention bathing outside the village on the tenth day?

The verse links the tenth-day observance with going beyond the village boundary for snāna, reflecting a transition in post-death impurity (aśauca) practices and formal completion of a key stage of the ten-day rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing tenth-day rites, follow the tradition respectfully: keep the piṇḍa-offering simple and focused, include basic offerings like flowers/incense, and observe community-appropriate rules for ritual bathing and conduct.