Shloka 11

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

जन्मन्येकोदकानान्तुत्रिरात्राच्छुद्धिरिष्यते / शावस्य शेषाच्छुध्यन्ति त्र्यहादुदकदायिनः

Transliteration

janmanyekodakānāntutrirātrācchuddhiriṣyate / śāvasya śeṣācchudhyanti tryahādudakadāyinaḥ

Translation

Dalam hal kelahiran, bagi mereka yang berkongsi ‘satu air’ (serumah/sekumpulan makan), penyucian ditetapkan selepas tiga malam. Demikian juga, para pemberi air (udaka) menjadi suci selepas tiga hari daripada baki āśauca yang berkaitan dengan mayat.

Word by Word

• जन्मनि: in (case of) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• एकोदकानाम्: of ekodaka relatives
• एकोदकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकोदक (प्रातिपदिक) < एक + उदक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘those sharing one water’ (a kin-category)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• त्रिरात्रात्: after three nights
• त्रिरात्रात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिरात्र (प्रातिपदिक) < त्रि + रात्रि
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान—‘after/from three nights’

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इष्यते: is accepted
• इष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग—‘is considered/accepted’

• शावस्य: of death-impurity
• शावस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• शेषात्: from the remainder/after the rest
• शेषात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• शुध्यन्ति: become purified
• शुध्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्र्यहात्: after three days
• त्र्यहात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यह (प्रातिपदिक) < त्रि + अहन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• उदकदायिनः: those who offer water (rites)
• उदकदायिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदकदायिन् (प्रातिपदिक) < उदक + दायिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक—‘water-givers’ (those who offer water rites)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Three nights for ekodaka group after birth; three days for udaka-offerers from remaining corpse-related impurity

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Purification periods vary by relational/ritual proximity: ekodakāna after birth—three nights; udakadāyins after corpse-related remainder—three days.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma operates through gradation (tāratamya) and context-sensitive duty; precision prevents pratyavāya (ritual fault).

Application: Identify whether one is ekodaka (same household/commensal) or an udaka-offerer; observe the three-night/three-day purification before resuming restricted acts.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: household/commensal unit (ekodaka) and water-offering circle (udakadāyin)

Cross References

Related Themes: 2.5.10 on sapinda daśāha; Garuda Purana śrāddha passages on udaka (tarpana) and eligibility during impurity (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of the three-day (trirātra/tryaha) rule in Garuda Purana?

This verse sets a standard purification window: three nights after a birth for the ekodaka household, and three days for those engaged in water-offerings connected to a death, framing aśauca as time-bound and ritually resolvable.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s teachings on death rites?

It links corpse-related impurity (śāva-aśauca) with the duty of udaka-dāna, stating that the performers of these water rites return to ritual purity after three days, reinforcing the structured progression of post-death observances.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe a defined period of restraint and cleanliness after birth or death events, and complete the prescribed water-offerings and related duties; the verse emphasizes disciplined closure rather than indefinite impurity.