Shloka 3

The Narrative of the Five Pretas

Eligibility for rites and jīvac-chrāddha procedure

Devanagari script

तेषामभावे सर्वेषां समानोदकसन्ततिः / कुलद्वये ऽपि चोच्छिन्ने स्त्रीभिः कार्याः क्रियाः खग

Transliteration

teṣāmabhāve sarveṣāṃ samānodakasantatiḥ / kuladvaye 'pi cocchinne strībhiḥ kāryāḥ kriyāḥ khaga

Translation

Jika mereka tiada, maka seluruh susur keturunan yang terhubung melalui air persembahan yang sama (samānodaka) hendaklah melaksanakan upacara itu. Bahkan jika kedua-dua garis keluarga terputus, wahai Burung (Garuda), hendaklah wanita-wanita melaksanakan upacara kematian dan upacara leluhur.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अभावे: in (their) absence
• अभावे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; भावे-सप्तमी (in the absence)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्व-शब्दः

• समानोदकसन्ततिः: line of those sharing the same water (related kin-group)
• समानोदकसन्ततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समानोदक (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (समानोदकानां सन्ततिः)

• कुलद्वये: in both families/lines
• कुलद्वये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वे कुले यस्मिन्/द्वयोः कुलयोः)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उच्छिन्ने: when (it is) cut off/extinct
• उच्छिन्ने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + छिद् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/क्त-प्रत्ययार्थ), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अर्थः—उच्छिन्न (cut off/extinct)

• स्त्रीभिः: by women
• स्त्रीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कार्याः: to be performed
• कार्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भविष्यत्कृदन्त/विधेय-विशेषण (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; अर्थः—कर्तव्याः (to be done)

• क्रियाः: rites/ritual acts
• क्रियाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• खग: O bird (Garuda)
• खग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma prioritizes completion of rites over rigid limitation: if sapinda performers are absent, samānodaka kin may act; if both lines are extinct, women may perform.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as sustaining order (loka-saṅgraha); intention and necessity preserve the rite’s efficacy when conventional agents are unavailable.

Application: If no close agnates exist, identify samānodaka relatives; if none, empower women of the family to conduct/commission rites with proper guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Continuation of eligibility rules in 2.8.2 and transition to ordered rites and ekoddiṣṭa in 2.8.4–2.8.5

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Women (striyaḥ)
• Samānodaka relatives

FAQs

What is the importance of samānodaka relatives in Garuda Purana death rituals?

This verse states that when primary eligible performers are absent, the duty passes to the samānodaka line—relatives connected through the same libation-water tradition—ensuring the deceased’s rites are not interrupted.

How does this verse explain continuity of rites when heirs are unavailable?

It lays out a fallback rule: first, samānodaka kin may perform the rites; and if both paternal and maternal lines are cut off, women are authorized to complete the required kriyās.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If immediate male heirs are absent, families can still complete antyeṣṭi/śrāddha through appropriate relatives, and—when necessary—women can responsibly perform or arrange the rites so obligations to the departed are fulfilled.