Shloka 12

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

उदकं चान्नसंयुक्तं भुङ्क्ते तस्मिन्पुरे गतः / त्रैपक्षिके तु यद्दत्तं तत्पुरं स व्यतिक्रमेत्

Transliteration

udakaṃ cānnasaṃyuktaṃ bhuṅkte tasminpure gataḥ / traipakṣike tu yaddattaṃ tatpuraṃ sa vyatikramet

Translation

Setibanya di kota itu, roh yang telah berangkat menikmati air yang bercampur makanan. Namun apa jua yang dipersembahkan dalam upacara traipakṣika, dengan persembahan itulah dia melampaui kota tersebut.

Word by Word

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अन्नसंयुक्तम्: mixed with food
• अन्नसंयुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न-संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त); तत्पुरुष-समासः (अन्नेन संयुक्तम्) विशेषण (उदकम्)

• भुङ्क्ते: eats/consumes
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: having gone, arrived
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त)

• त्रैपक्षिके: in the three-fortnight period
• त्रैपक्षिके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैपक्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक (in the period of three fortnights)

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (qualifying ‘पुरम्’)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्यतिक्रमेत्: would pass beyond, would cross
• व्यतिक्रमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अति + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

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

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Traipakṣika (three fortnights after death)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha/traipakṣika offerings materially aid the departed; ritual duty of the living affects the preta’s journey.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛṇa (debt) and dharma as cosmic order; subtle continuity between gross and subtle through saṃskāra and offering.

Application: Perform timely post-death rites (water/food offerings, śrāddha) with faith and correctness; support grieving families with guidance to complete rites.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: city/way-station

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: traipakṣika (three-fortnight) rites and their effect on preta’s movement (surrounding verses in 2.16); Garuda Purana: śrāddha sections describing anna-udaka as preta’s sustenance

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of traipakṣika rites in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that offerings made during the three fortnights empower the departed to move past a specific after-death station (pura), accelerating progress on the preta’s journey.

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

It describes the departed reaching a ‘city’ or stage where he receives sustenance (water with food), and explains that properly timed offerings enable him to cross beyond that stage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform post-death offerings and śrāddha with correct timing and sincerity, emphasizing simple, sattvic giving (water and food), as supportive acts for the departed and as a discipline of dharma for the family.