Shloka 37

Garuḍa’s Return to Vaikuṇṭha and the Comprehensive Inquiry into Death-Rites and the Preta’s Journey

Devanagari script

किमर्थं चत्वरे दुग्धं यात्रे पक्वे च मृन्मये / काष्ठत्रयं गणाबद्धं कृत्वा रात्रौ चतुष्पथे

Transliteration

kimarthaṃ catvare dugdhaṃ yātre pakve ca mṛnmaye / kāṣṭhatrayaṃ gaṇābaddhaṃ kṛtvā rātrau catuṣpathe

Translation

Untuk tujuan apakah susu dipersembahkan di simpang jalan? Dan mengapa makanan untuk perjalanan dimasak dalam periuk tanah? Lagi pula, mengapa pada waktu malam di persimpangan empat hala, tiga batang kayu diikat menjadi satu dan diletakkan?

Word by Word

• kimartham: why? for what purpose?
• kimartham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kimartham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — प्रश्न (interrogative adverb)

• catvare: at the crossroads/square
• catvare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• dugdham: milk
• dugdham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dugdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yātre: in a journey/at travel-time
• yātre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• pakve: cooked/ripe
• pakve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — विशेषण (qualifying yātre/mṛnmaye contextually)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय (conjunction)

• mṛnmaye: in an earthen (vessel)
• mṛnmaye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛn-maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (मृद्+मय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kāṣṭha: wood
• kāṣṭha: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• trayam: a set of three pieces (of wood)
• trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (काष्ठ+त्रयम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• gaṇābaddham: tied/bound with a cord/with a bundle
• gaṇābaddham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṇā-baddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (गणया/गणेन + बद्ध), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषण (काष्ठत्रयम्)

• kṛtvā: having done/made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• catuṣpathe: at the four-way crossing
• catuṣpathe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣ-patha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (चतुष्+पथ), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) questioning Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: During the early post-cremation/preta period; night-time crossroads observance

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific transitional offerings (milk at crossroads, journey-food in earthen pot, wooden triad at night) are karmic supports and protections for the departed’s passage and for the living household’s śānti.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual action addresses subtle consequences (adṛṣṭa) within saṃsāra; ordered karma mitigates fear and disorder during transition.

Application: When following tradition, understand these acts as boundary-protection and transition-support; perform with cleanliness, intention, and safety (especially at night/public places).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: crossroads (public liminal space)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa motifs of crossroads offerings and preta-protection (general internal theme); Adjacent questions 2.1.38–2.1.39 continuing rationale for lamp, dāhodaka, and piṇḍas

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of offering milk at a crossroads in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames it as a deliberate rite connected to the departed one’s passage (yātrā), asking why milk is placed at the crossroads—an in-between space associated with transitional, protective, and appeasement rituals in post-death observances.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By focusing on yātrā-related acts (special cooking, offerings at catuṣpatha, and symbolic placements), the verse highlights that the post-death journey is treated as a structured transition requiring ritual supports and safeguards.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It underscores intentionality in last rites: perform prescribed observances carefully, with a focus on aiding transition and maintaining dharmic discipline rather than treating rituals as empty custom.