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

Имея в виду умершего как прету (preta), следует по предписанию совершить эко-ддишта-шраддху (ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha). И обряд сапиндикарана (sapiṇḍīkaraṇa) должен быть выполнен для преты мужчинами вплоть до истечения года.

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.