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Shloka 67

Sapindīkaraṇa: Timing, Eligibility, Gotra Rules, and Yearlong Śrāddha

with Vṛṣotsarga and Ghaṭa-dāna

Devanagari script

अर्वाक्च वृद्धेः करणाच्च तार्क्ष्य सपिण्डनं यः कुरुते हि पुत्रः / तथापि मासं प्रतिपिण्डमेकमन्नं च कुम्भं सजलं च दद्यात्

Transliteration

arvākca vṛddheḥ karaṇācca tārkṣya sapiṇḍanaṃ yaḥ kurute hi putraḥ / tathāpi māsaṃ pratipiṇḍamekamannaṃ ca kumbhaṃ sajalaṃ ca dadyāt

Translation

Wahai Tārkṣya (Garuda), jika seorang anak lelaki melakukan upacara sapiṇḍīkaraṇa lebih awal daripada waktunya kerana keadaan mendesak, namun demikian selama genap sebulan dia tetap hendaklah mempersembahkan setiap hari satu piṇḍa (bebola nasi), makanan, dan sebuah tempayan berisi air.

Word by Word
अर्वाक्earlier, before
अर्वाक्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअर्वाक् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; ‘पूर्वम्/अधः/अर्वाक्’ इत्यर्थे (before/earlier)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)
वृद्धेःof the extension/added period
वृद्धेः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — ‘of the (prescribed) period/extension’ (contextual)
करणात्from performing (it)
करणात्:
Hetu (Cause)
TypeNoun
Rootकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ablative ‘from/because of doing’
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपातः
तार्क्ष्यO Tārkṣya (Garuda)
तार्क्ष्य:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootतार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative (Garuda)
सपिण्डनम्the sapiṇḍana rite
सपिण्डनम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootसपिण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — object of कुरुते
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — relative pronoun
कुरुतेperforms
कुरुते:
Kriyā (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘does/performs’
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपातः; कारण/निश्चयार्थे (indeed/for)
पुत्रःthe son
पुत्रः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — apposition to यः
तथापिnevertheless
तथापि:
Sambandha (Concessive)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा + अपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/अपवादार्थे (nevertheless)
मासम्for a month
मासम्:
Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent)
TypeNoun
Rootमास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative of duration
प्रतिपिण्डम्for each piṇḍa (offering)
प्रतिपिण्डम्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्रति + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः — ‘for each piṇḍa/each offering’
एकम्one
एकम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootएक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — qualifying प्रतिपिण्डम्/अन्नम् (one each)
अन्नम्food
अन्नम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — object of दद्यात्
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपातः
कुम्भम्a pot, jar
कुम्भम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootकुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — object of दद्यात्
स-जलम्with water
स-जलम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootस (अव्यय) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सह-तत्पुरुषः (जलेन सह) — qualifying कुम्भम्
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपातः
दद्यात्should give
दद्यात्:
Kriyā (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootदा (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘should give’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Tārkṣya)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Sapindana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: If sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is performed earlier than proper time, then for one month thereafter: daily one piṇḍa plus food and a water-pot with water.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: If sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is done prematurely due to necessity, a compensatory regimen—daily piṇḍa, food, and water-pot for one month—should still be performed.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as flexible within śāstra: exceptions (āpaddharma) require compensatory observance to preserve intended phala.

Application: When compelled to alter timing of key rites, follow prescribed compensations rather than abandoning the remaining sequence; keep a structured daily offering period.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: ritual space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: sapiṇḍīkaraṇa timing and compensatory offerings (2.26.64-67); Garuda Purana: āpaddharma-like accommodations in ritual contexts (general)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda (Tārkṣya)
S
Son (Putra)
P
Pitris (implied via sapiṇḍīkaraṇa)

FAQs

This verse treats sapiṇḍīkaraṇa as a decisive rite linking the departed to the ancestral stream (pitṛs), and stresses that even if performed early, compensatory daily offerings must still be maintained.

It implies that the preta’s welfare depends on continuity of nourishment and ritual support—piṇḍa, food, and water—so that premature consolidation into the pitṛ-category does not interrupt the required transitional offerings.

If rites are advanced due to unavoidable constraints, the verse advises not to reduce care: continue disciplined daily offerings/charity (food and water) for the prescribed period, preserving intention, regularity, and respect for dharma.

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