Shloka 12

The Narrative of the Five Pretas

Eligibility for rites and jīvac-chrāddha procedure

Devanagari script

सदक्षिणाश्च सतिलास्तिस्त्रश्च जलधेनवः / निवेदयेत्पितृभ्यश्च स्वधेति सुसमाहितः

Transliteration

sadakṣiṇāśca satilāstistraśca jaladhenavaḥ / nivedayetpitṛbhyaśca svadheti susamāhitaḥ

Translation

Dengan dakṣiṇā (pemberian kehormatan) menurut dharma, bersama biji wijen (tilā) dan tiga “lembu air” (jaladhenu), hendaklah dipersembahkan kepada para Pitṛ (leluhur), sambil melafazkan “svadhā”, dengan minda tenang, khusyuk dan penuh perhatian.

Word by Word

• स-दक्षिणाः: (offerings) with dakṣiṇā (fees)
• स-दक्षिणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + सु- (उपसर्ग/उपपद)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—'दक्षिणा'युक्ताः (with gifts/fees)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• स-तिलाः: with sesame
• स-तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिला (प्रातिपदिक) + स- (उपपद)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—तिलयुक्ताः (with sesame)

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• जल-धेनवः: water-cows (water offerings)
• जल-धेनवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—जलस्य धेनवः (cows of water; water-cows/ water-offerings)

• निवेदयेत्: should offer/present
• निवेदयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; causative sense not intended—'offer/present'

• पितृभ्यः: to the Pitṛs (ancestors)
• पितृभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• स्वधा: “svadhā”
• स्वधा: Vacana/Mantra (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक/मन्त्रपद)
• Form: मन्त्र-उद्गाररूपेण अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (mantric exclamation used indeclinably)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-marker (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• सु-समाहितः: well-collected (in mind)
• सु-समाहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृदन्त; सम्-आ-धा धातु) + सु- (उपसर्ग/उपपद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) विशेषण—well-composed/attentive

Speaker

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

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Śrāddha occasion (tithi-based; commonly amāvasyā/mahālaya or prescribed family śrāddha day)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha as a duty: offerings to Pitṛs must be accompanied by dakṣiṇā and performed with mental steadiness (samāhita).

Vedantic Theme: Karma performed with śraddhā and niyama purifies the mind (citta-śuddhi) and sustains ṛṇa-traya obligations (especially pitṛ-ṛṇa).

Application: When performing ancestral rites, include prescribed gifts (dakṣiṇā, tilā, water-charity) and maintain focused, calm attention while reciting svadhā.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: ritual-space (gṛhya/śrāddha-vedi)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.8 (Śrāddha-vidhi sequence: tilā, dakṣiṇā, svadhā, placement of offerings)

Characters & Entities

• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of saying “svadhā” in Garuda Purana śrāddha rites?

This verse presents “svadhā” as the proper offering-formula specifically addressed to the Pitṛs, marking the rite as an ancestral oblation rather than a deva-yajña.

What does “jaladhenu” mean in Garuda Purana and why are there three?

Here “jaladhenu” indicates a prescribed water-offering modeled on the merit of gifting a cow; the verse specifies three as the required count for this particular ancestral offering sequence.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing tarpaṇa/śrāddha, include traditional elements (tilā, appropriate giving) and do the rite with steady attention and reverence, not mechanically.