Shloka 15

Dāna as Prāyaścitta; Deathbed Gifts; Antyeṣṭi Procedures; Nārāyaṇa-bali for Untimely Deaths

Devanagari script

विष्णुदेहसमुत्पन्नो यतो ऽयं लवणो रसः / आतुरस्य यदा प्राणा न यान्ति वसुधातले

Transliteration

viṣṇudehasamutpanno yato 'yaṃ lavaṇo rasaḥ / āturasya yadā prāṇā na yānti vasudhātale

Translation

Kerana sari rasa masin ini dikatakan berasal daripada tubuh Viṣṇu, maka apabila seseorang sangat menderita dan nafas hayatnya (prāṇa) belum juga berangkat di atas bumi, prinsip ini diingati dan diperhatikan.

Word by Word

• विष्णुदेहसमुत्पन्नः: arisen from Viṣṇu’s body
• विष्णुदेहसमुत्पन्नः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + देह + समुत्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विष्णोः देहात् समुत्पन्नः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (रसः) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• यतः: because, since
• यतः: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb) ‘because/wherefrom’

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• लवणः: salty; salt
• लवणः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (रसः) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• रसः: essence, taste, juice
• रसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• आतुरस्य: of the afflicted/sick person
• आतुरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• प्राणाः: vital breaths, life-forces
• प्राणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• यान्ति: go, depart
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वसुधातले: on the surface of the earth
• वसुधातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वसुधायाः तलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A mundane substance is sacralized through Viṣṇu-sambandha; remembrance of Viṣṇu and sacred giving at life’s threshold is implied.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-sarvātmakatva (the divine pervading the ordinary) and sanctification of action through devotion.

Application: At times of severe illness or impending death, cultivate Viṣṇu-smaraṇa and perform simple, sincere acts of charity connected with sacred meaning.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu devotion in funeral/afterlife contexts (contextual); Garuda Purana: lavaṇa-dāna discussion continuing into ‘gate of heaven’ motif (adjacent verses)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Prana
• Vasudha (Earth)

FAQs

What is the importance of salt (lavaṇa) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse links the “salty essence” to Viṣṇu’s body, giving it a sacred association when discussing the critical moment of prāṇa (life-breath) and the dying process.

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

It focuses on the immediate threshold of death: the departure (or non-departure) of prāṇas. In the Preta Kanda narrative, this moment determines when post-death observances and the preta-related journey properly begin.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat end-of-life rites and the dying person’s care with reverence and steadiness; the teaching emphasizes attentiveness to the prāṇa’s transition rather than panic or neglect.