Shloka 3

Āśauca and Udaka-kriyā: Post-Cremation Conduct, Eligibility, and Purifiers

Devanagari script

स दग्धव्य उपेतश्चैदाहिताग्न्यावृतार्थवत् / सप्तमाद्दशमाद्वापि ज्ञातयो ऽभ्युपयान्त्यपः

Transliteration

sa dagdhavya upetaścaidāhitāgnyāvṛtārthavat / saptamāddaśamādvāpi jñātayo 'bhyupayāntyapaḥ

Translation

स दग्धव्य उपेतश्चैदाहिताग्न्यावृतार्थवत्। सप्तमाद्दशमाद्वापि ज्ञातयोऽभ्युपयान्त्यपः॥

Word by Word

• saḥ: he/that (person)
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dagdhavyaḥ: to be cremated
• dagdhavyaḥ: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dagdhavya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dah (धातु) + tavya, gerundive)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; gerundive: 'to be burnt/cremated'

• upetaḥ: having been attended/approached
• upetaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upeta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; upa-√i (धातु) + kta)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; 'having approached/attended'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• idāhitāgnyāvṛtārthavat: as one endowed with (rites of) maintained sacred fire
• idāhitāgnyāvṛtārthavat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idāhita-agni + āvṛta + arthavat (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; bahuvrīhi: 'one whose purpose is covered/fulfilled by the (idāhita) sacred fire' (i.e., like one who has maintained the sacred fires)

• saptamāt: from the seventh (day)
• saptamāt: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; used adverbially 'from the seventh (day)'

• daśamāt: from the tenth (day)
• daśamāt: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; used adverbially 'from the tenth (day)'

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्प)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) 'also/even'

• jñātayaḥ: kinsmen
• jñātayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• abhyupayānti: approach/come near
• abhyupayānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-upa-√yā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/present), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural; parasmaipada

• apaḥ: waters (water-offerings)
• apaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक; plural-only noun)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; object of abhyupayānti

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: 7th day or 10th day after death (as stated)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cremation should be duly performed, ideally by one versed in āhitāgni procedure; kinsmen perform water-rites on the 7th or 10th day.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual time (kāla) and duty (kartavya) structure grief; correct performance supports cosmic/social order (ṛta/dharma).

Application: Observe prescribed timelines for memorial/water offerings; delegate to competent ritual leadership; use the schedule to support family processing and communal support.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: cremation_ground_and_riverbank

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.106 (sequence: cremation, then udaka-kriyā on specified days)

Characters & Entities

• Jñātis (relatives)

FAQs

What is the importance of offering water (apaḥ) in the Garuda Purana after death?

This verse links the relatives’ water-offering (tarpaṇa) to a defined post-death schedule (7th or 10th day), treating it as a required support-rite following cremation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By prescribing timely cremation and subsequent water-rites by the family, the verse frames the immediate post-death transition as guided by ritual acts that aid the departed’s onward journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform cremation and the family’s water-offerings with discipline and on the traditionally observed days (commonly the 10th, or as locally practiced), emphasizing duty (dharma) and continuity of remembrance.