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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 66

Dharma–Adharma Marks; Daśāha, Piṇḍa Formation, Śrāddha Calendar, Śayyā-dāna, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Rules

Devanagari script

मासत्रये त्रिरात्रं स्यात् षण्मासेन तु पक्षिणी / अहः संवत्सरादर्ब्वाक् पूर्णे दत्त्वोदकं शुचिः / अनेनैवा नुसारेण शुद्धिः स्यात् सार्ववर्णिकी

Transliteration

māsatraye trirātraṃ syāt ṣaṇmāsena tu pakṣiṇī / ahaḥ saṃvatsarādarbvāk pūrṇe dattvodakaṃ śuciḥ / anenaivā nusāreṇa śuddhiḥ syāt sārvavarṇikī

Translation

Selepas tiga bulan, tempoh ketidak-sucian menjadi tiga malam; selepas enam bulan, menjadi setengah bulan (pakṣa). Namun sebelum genap setahun, kesucian diperoleh semula dalam satu hari apabila air (udaka) telah dipersembahkan dengan sempurna dan seseorang tetap bersih. Dengan mengikuti urutan ini, penyucian berlaku bagi semua varṇa.

Word by Word
मासत्रयेwithin three months
मासत्रये:
कालाधिकरण (Temporal locative)
TypeNoun
Rootमास-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगुसमास ('three months'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative 'at/within three months'
त्रिरात्रम्three nights (period)
त्रिरात्रम्:
कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootत्रि-रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगुसमास ('three nights'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative as subject of स्यात्
स्यात्should be
स्यात्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada
षण्मासेनwithin six months
षण्मासेन:
करण/कालपरिमाण (Measure of time)
TypeNoun
Rootषण्-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगुसमास ('six months'), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental 'by/within six months'
तुbut/indeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात
पक्षिणीa fortnight (15 days)
पक्षिणी:
कर्ता (Kartā/Subject; implied 'स्यात्')
TypeNoun
Rootपक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular (a fortnight)
अहःa day
अहः:
कर्म/परिमाण (Measure)
TypeNoun
Rootअहन्/अहः (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as measure 'a day'
संवत्सरात्from (after) a year
संवत्सरात्:
अपादान (Apādāna)
TypeNoun
Rootसंवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ablative 'from a year'
अर्वाक्before/this side of
अर्वाक्:
सम्बन्ध/अव्यय (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअर्वाक् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; दिशावाचक/कालवाचक (adverb: 'this side/before')
पूर्णेwhen (the period is) complete
पूर्णे:
सप्तमीसम्बन्ध (Locative absolute)
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative absolute sense 'when completed' (with implied time-period)
दत्त्वाhaving given
दत्त्वा:
पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
TypeVerb
Root√दा (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having given'
उदकम्water
उदकम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootउदक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative object of दत्त्वा
शुचिःpure
शुचिः:
प्रत्यय/विशेषण (Predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective 'pure' (person implied)
अनेनby this
अनेन:
करण (Karaṇa)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental 'by this'
एवindeed/only
एव:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)
अनुसारेणaccording to (the rule)
अनुसारेण:
करण (Instrumental of manner)
TypeNoun
Rootअनुसार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental 'according to'
शुद्धिःpurification
शुद्धिः:
कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
स्यात्should be
स्यात्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
सार्ववर्णिकीapplicable to all castes
सार्ववर्णिकी:
विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
TypeAdjective
Rootसार्व-वर्णिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुषसमास ('of all varṇas'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with शुद्धिः
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: If death is 3 months past: 3 nights; 6 months: a fortnight; before 1 year: 1 day after duly offering water and observing cleanliness.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Aśauca duration reduces with temporal distance from the death; water-offering and cleanliness restore purity; rule applies across varṇas by the same sequence.

Vedantic Theme: Kāla as regulator of saṃskāra; purification as a conventional means to re-enter dharmic life while acknowledging impermanence.

Application: For deaths at temporal distance (3/6/12 months), apply the reduced impurity periods; perform due water offering and maintain śauca to conclude impurity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: household/ritual water-source (river/well)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.34.63-65 (baseline sūtaka and varṇa durations); Garuda Purana śrāddha sections on udaka-dāna/tarpaṇa as purifier

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda

FAQs

This verse lays out a graded timeline for impurity and its removal, emphasizing that proper conduct—especially offering water and maintaining cleanliness—restores ritual purity in an orderly, dharma-based way.

While not describing the soul’s journey directly, it supports the broader Preta Kanda framework: the living must perform timely rites (like udaka offerings) that align with dharma, which is repeatedly linked to the deceased’s post-death welfare and the family’s restoration to normal religious life.

Follow a consistent, tradition-aligned period of restraint after a death, and perform the prescribed water offerings and cleanliness practices—treating purification as a disciplined return to daily dharma rather than a mere formality.

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