Shloka 42

Dietary Rules & Purification — Duties of the Ashrama System

Devanagari script

प्रेताय सलिलं देयं बहिर्दग्ध्वा तु गोत्रजैः प्रमे ऽह्नि चतुर्थे वा सप्तमे वास्थिसंचयम्

Transliteration

pretāya salilaṃ deyaṃ bahirdagdhvā tu gotrajaiḥ prame 'hni caturthe vā saptame vāsthisaṃcayam

Translation

Deve-se oferecer água (salila) ao falecido (preta). Após a cremação fora (do povoado), os parentes do mesmo gotra devem recolher os ossos no dia seguinte, ou no quarto dia, ou no sétimo dia.

Word by Word

• pretāya: to the departed spirit
• pretāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान

• salilam: water
• salilam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Vidhi (विधेय/आदेश)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) + deya (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be given)

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (outside)

• dagdhvā: having cremated
• dagdhvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु) + dagdhvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having burnt/cremated’

• tu: then
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेष/विरोधार्थ (but/then)

• gotrajaiḥ: by the kinsmen of the same lineage
• gotrajaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gotraja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गोत्रात् जाताः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध (by)

• prame: on the first (day)
• prame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘प्रमे’ = प्रथमे (in the first) (पाठभेद/सन्धि-लोप)

• ahni: on the day
• ahni: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• caturthe: on the fourth
• caturthe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (in the fourth)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• saptame: on the seventh
• saptame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (in the seventh)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• asthi-saṃcayam: collection of bones
• asthi-saṃcayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi + saṃcaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अस्थ्नां संचयः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

Speakers

• Narrative layer not specified in input (often Pulastya → Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa); speaker uncertain here

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Antyeṣṭi (funerary rites)
• Śauca (purity rules)
• Pitṛ-kārya (rites for the departed)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames death-rites as a duty of kinship: care for the departed continues beyond cremation through water-offerings and orderly observances, reinforcing gratitude, continuity of family obligations, and social responsibility.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It aligns best with ācāra/dharma material (ritual prescription) rather than the five classic purāṇic topics; within pancalakṣaṇa mapping it is ancillary dharma-vidhi, not sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita/manvantara.

What is the symbolic significance?

Water (salila) symbolizes ongoing support and transition for the preta; the timed bone-collection ritualizes the community’s gradual return from death-impurity to ordered life while honoring the liminal passage of the deceased.