Shloka 10
Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna
Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings
करयुग्मे च कण्ठे च तुलसीं च प्रदापयेत्
karayugme ca kaṇṭhe ca tulasīṃ ca pradāpayet
Следует вложить священную туласи в обе руки и также положить её к горлу отходящего.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Beneficiary: Preta (departed individual)
Timing: At the deathbed/immediately after death
Concept: Tulasī, as a sacred offering to Viṣṇu, is placed at key bodily loci to support the departing prāṇa and orient consciousness toward the divine.
Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as an upāya at the liminal moment; prāṇa-udāna symbolism at the throat in the departure process.
Application: Place tulasī in both hands and at the throat of the departing/deceased person as part of the final bedside rites.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: bedside ritual space
Related Themes: Garuda Purana tulasī-mahātmyas and deathbed instructions emphasizing tulasī’s liberative/protective role; Garuda Purana guidance on prāṇa departure and supportive sacred placements
FAQs
This verse prescribes placing tulasī at the hands and throat of the dying, treating it as a sacred aid and auspicious support for the departing person in a Vishnu-centered death-bed observance.
By emphasizing a specific last-moment rite, it frames the departure as a dharmic transition where sacred items and devotional observances are used to support the jīva as it leaves the body and enters the post-death journey described in the Preta Kanda.
If appropriate to one’s tradition, keep tulasī available for end-of-life care and ensure the moment is guided by calm, devotional, and respectful rites rather than confusion or neglect.