Shloka 23

Akālamṛtyu: Preta-state Categories and the Nārāyaṇa-bali / Ekoddiṣṭa Remedy

Devanagari script

वस्त्रोपानहसंयुक्तं दद्यादष्टविधं पदम् / दापयेत्सर्वविप्रेभ्यो न कुर्यात्पङ्क्तिबन्धनम्

Transliteration

vastropānahasaṃyuktaṃ dadyādaṣṭavidhaṃ padam / dāpayetsarvaviprebhyo na kuryātpaṅktibandhanam

Translation

Hendaklah diberikan persembahan lapan jenis, disertai pakaian dan alas kaki. Hendaklah ia diberikan kepada semua Brahmana yang layak, dan janganlah diikat dengan sekatan barisan jamuan yang tetap (pankti-bandhana).

Word by Word

• वस्त्र-उपानह-संयुक्तम्: combined with cloth and footwear
• वस्त्र-उपानह-संयुक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र + उपानह् + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः—वस्त्रेण उपानहाभ्यां च संयुक्तम् (endowed with cloth and footwear)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अष्टविधम्: of eight kinds
• अष्टविधम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—अष्ट प्रकाराः यस्य तत्

• पदम्: a set/item (gift/step)
• पदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दापयेत्: should have (it) given
• दापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः

• सर्व-विप्रेभ्यः: to all brāhmaṇas
• सर्व-विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—सर्वेभ्यः विप्रेभ्यः

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक (negation particle)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पङ्क्ति-बन्धनम्: binding/arranging in a row (fixed seating line)
• पङ्क्ति-बन्धनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्क्ति + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पङ्क्तेः बन्धनम् (forming a fixed dining line/row arrangement)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: During śrāddha distribution (dāna/bhojana phase)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha-dāna should be complete (eightfold offering) with clothing/footwear and given broadly to worthy brāhmaṇas without restrictive ‘pankti-bandhana’ (exclusive row/closed group).

Vedantic Theme: Purification of intention (saṅkalpa-śuddhi): dharma is upheld by impartiality and avoidance of clannishness in sacred giving.

Application: Avoid nepotism/exclusivity in ritual charity; ensure gifts include basic needs; distribute to all qualified recipients present rather than a closed invite-only line.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: śrāddha dining/receiving area

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana śrāddha sections warning against improper brāhmaṇa-selection and defects in śrāddha (doṣa); Garuda Purana lists of śrāddha-aṅgas including dāna and bhojana (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Vipras (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the importance of aṣṭavidha (eightfold) dāna in the Garuda Purana?

This verse prescribes an “eightfold” set of ritual gifts, explicitly to be offered along with clothing and footwear, as part of meritorious charity connected with preta/śrāddha observances.

Why does the verse say “na kuryāt paṅkti-bandhanam” (do not bind it to a fixed row)?

It advises against making the giving/feeding exclusive or limited to a pre-arranged closed line; the dāna should be offered broadly to worthy vipras rather than constrained by rigid, status-based arrangements.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing memorial charity, include practical essentials (like clothes/footwear) and give in an inclusive, non-discriminatory way to genuinely qualified recipients, avoiding showy or exclusionary arrangements.