Shloka 48

Dietary Rules & Purification — Dietary Rules, Purification (Śauca), and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller

Devanagari script

प्रेतमुद्दिस्य कर्त्तव्यमेकोद्दिष्टं विधानतः सपिण्डीकरणं कार्यं प्रेते आवत्सरान्नरैः

Transliteration

pretamuddisya karttavyamekoddiṣṭaṃ vidhānataḥ sapiṇḍīkaraṇaṃ kāryaṃ prete āvatsarānnaraiḥ

Translation

ପ୍ରେତକୁ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ କରି ବିଧାନାନୁସାରେ ଏକୋଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ଏବଂ ପ୍ରେତ ପାଇଁ ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନେ ବର୍ଷ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସପିଣ୍ଡୀକରଣ କ୍ରିୟା କରିବେ।

Word by Word

• pretam: the departed (spirit)
• pretam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of uddiśya

• uddiśya: with reference to / intending
• uddiśya: Hetu/Prayojana (हेतु/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √diś (धातु) with ud- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/त्वान्त, ‘having intended/with reference to’); expresses purpose/occasion

• kartavyam: should be done
• kartavyam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्), Neuter, Nominative, Singular; impersonal obligation ‘it should be done’

• eka-uddiṣṭam: the ekoddiṣṭa rite
• eka-uddiṣṭam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + uddiṣṭa (कृदन्त, √diś)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘the single (rite) called ekoddiṣṭa’; predicate with kartavyam

• vidhānataḥ: according to prescription
• vidhānataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially with -taḥ (तसिल्): ‘according to rule/prescription’

• sapiṇḍī-karaṇam: the sapīṇḍīkaraṇa (joining with ancestors) rite
• sapiṇḍī-karaṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa-piṇḍī (प्रातिपदिक) + karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘making (him) one with the piṇḍas/ancestors’ (sapīṇḍīkaraṇa rite)

• kāryam: is to be done
• kāryam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Gerundive (यत्), Neuter, Nominative, Singular; ‘is to be done’ (predicate)

• prete: for the departed (person)
• prete: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; ‘when/for the departed’

• ā-vatsarāt: after a year
• ā-vatsarāt: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vatsara (प्रातिपदिक) with ā- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग)
• Form: Ablative singular used adverbially with prefix ā- meaning ‘after/at the completion of’; ‘after a year’

• naraiḥ: by men (people)
• naraiḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता, agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; agent in passive/obligation context

Speakers

• Not specified in input (commonly framed as Pulastya ↔ Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa narrative layer)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Pitṛ-dharma
• Śrāddha
• Gṛhya/Smārta rites

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames care for the departed as a binding duty (dharma): the living maintain continuity of family and moral order by properly transitioning a deceased relative from the ‘preta’ state toward the pitṛ status through prescribed rites.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is primarily Dharma/Ācāra material (ritual injunction) rather than the five classic purāṇic marks; it aligns most closely with ancillary purāṇic instruction that supports varṇāśrama-dharma, not with sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita/manvantara narration.

What is the symbolic significance?

Ekoddiṣṭa signifies focused remembrance of the individual departed; sapiṇḍīkaraṇa symbolizes reintegration—moving from liminal individuality (preta) into ancestral collectivity (pitṛ-gaṇa), restoring both familial and cosmic order.