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Shloka 39

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

दुग्धं तस्य प्रदेयं स्याद्बालानां भोजनं शुभम् / पञ्चवर्षाधिके प्रेते स्वजातिविहितानि च

Transliteration

dugdhaṃ tasya pradeyaṃ syādbālānāṃ bhojanaṃ śubham / pañcavarṣādhike prete svajātivihitāni ca

Translation

Bagi anak yang telah meninggal itu, susu hendaklah dipersembahkan; bagi kanak-kanak, persembahan makanan demikian adalah membawa keberkatan. Namun jika si mati berumur lebih lima tahun, maka hendaklah juga dilakukan upacara dan persembahan yang ditetapkan menurut jāti (golongan) sendiri.

Word by Word
दुग्धम्milk
दुग्धम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootदुग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
तस्यfor him/for that (child)
तस्य:
Sambandha (For whom)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)
प्रदेयम्should be given
प्रदेयम्:
Karma (Predicative obligation)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
Formयत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: to be given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
स्यात्should be
स्यात्:
Kriya (Auxiliary/Main)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
बालानाम्of/for children
बालानाम्:
Sambandha (Of/for children)
TypeNoun
Rootबाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन
भोजनम्food; feeding
भोजनम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootभोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
शुभम्auspicious; good
शुभम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'भोजनम्' इति विशेषण
पञ्चवर्षाधिकेin (the case of) one older than five years
पञ्चवर्षाधिके:
Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्चवर्ष (द्विगु-प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष (पञ्चवर्षात् अधिकः/अधिके), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'प्रेते' इति विशेष्य (locative absolute sense: when (one) beyond five years)
प्रेतेwhen (one) has died
प्रेते:
Adhikarana (Temporal locus)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + इ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
Formक्त-कृदन्त (past participle: departed/dead), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when dead)
स्वजातिविहितानिthose prescribed for one’s own community
स्वजातिविहितानि:
Karma (Implied objects/rites)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + विहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष (स्वजात्या विहितानि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (things) prescribed for one’s own caste/community
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)
Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Milk/food offerings for a departed child are auspicious; beyond five years, perform rites prescribed for one’s jāti (social/legal tradition).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as layered: universal compassion plus contextual social-ritual codes; karma is shaped by correct performance of duties.

Application: For deaths beyond early childhood, follow one’s tradition’s full antyeṣṭi/śrāddha framework; maintain simple auspicious offerings for children.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household/ritual-ground

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.24.36–38 (age-based impurity and cremation rules leading to this conclusion)

Characters & Entities
P
Pretas

FAQs

This verse states that for a departed child, milk is the proper and auspicious offering, indicating a simplified, age-appropriate rite compared to adult śrāddha procedures.

It sets a practical threshold: for children, milk/child-appropriate food offerings are emphasized; once the deceased is older than five years, customary jāti-prescribed rites are to be performed as well.

When performing post-death observances, follow age-sensitive and tradition-specific guidance: keep offerings simple for very young children, and consult family/śāstra-based practice for rites applicable beyond five years.

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