Shloka 11
Preta-bhāva: Causes, Remedies, and the Rationale of Post-death Rites
Question-Catalogue
तिला लोहं हिरण्यं च कार्पासं लवणं तथा / सप्तधान्यं क्षितिर्गावो दीयते केन हे तुना
tilā lohaṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca kārpāsaṃ lavaṇaṃ tathā / saptadhānyaṃ kṣitirgāvo dīyate kena he tunā
“Biji bijan, besi, emas, kapas dan juga garam; tujuh jenis bijirin, tanah dan lembu—wahai yang mulia, atas sebab apakah semuanya didermakan sebagai dana?”
Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Antyeṣṭi/uttara-kriyā and subsequent śrāddha sequence (contextual)
Concept: Dāna as a dharmic instrument that transfers merit, removes obstacles, and supports the departed’s onward journey.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as preparatory purification (citta-śuddhi) aiding higher pursuit; impermanence of possessions and their sanctification through offering.
Application: When performing funerary/ancestral rites, give prescribed items with intention (saṅkalpa) and purity, prioritizing capacity and sincerity over display.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: ritual-space (gṛha/śmaśāna context implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Antyeṣṭi-vidhi sections on dāna of tila, loha, hiraṇya, lavaṇa, dhānya, go-dāna, bhū-dāna
FAQs
This verse frames these items as standard śrāddha/dāna materials and asks the underlying purpose—setting up the teaching that such gifts support rites for the departed and are prescribed as meritorious, tradition-backed donations.
Indirectly: it occurs in the Preta Kanda context where Garuda inquires about ritual supports for the departed; the verse signals that specific donations are connected to post-death observances and their intended effects, which are explained in the surrounding discourse.
If performing śrāddha or memorial charity, follow dharmic guidance: give meaningful, useful essentials (food grains, clothing material, support for livelihood) with sincerity and right intention, rather than treating ritual giving as a mere formality.