Shloka 7
Tarpaṇa-vidhi (Rite of Water-libations) for Devas and Pitṛs
प्रपितामहस्याञ्जलिदानम् / ॐ नमो वः पितरो रसाय नमो वः पितरः शुष्माय नमो वः पितरो जीवाय नमो वः पितरः स्वधायै नमो वः पितरो घोराय नमो वः पितरो मन्यवे / नमो वः पितरो गृहान्न पितरो दत्तः / नमो वः पितरो दध्मे तद्वः पितरो वासः / मातामहानां त्रिरञ्जलिदृ / ततो मात्रादीनान्दृ
prapitāmahasyāñjalidānam / oṃ namo vaḥ pitaro rasāya namo vaḥ pitaraḥ śuṣmāya namo vaḥ pitaro jīvāya namo vaḥ pitaraḥ svadhāyai namo vaḥ pitaro ghorāya namo vaḥ pitaro manyave / namo vaḥ pitaro gṛhānna pitaro dattaḥ / namo vaḥ pitaro dadhme tadvaḥ pitaro vāsaḥ / mātāmahānāṃ trirañjalidṛ / tato mātrādīnāndṛ
प्रपितामहानां त्रिरञ्जलिदानं कृत्वा मन्त्रं जपेत— “ॐ नमो वः पितरो रसाय, नमो वः पितरः शुष्माय, नमो वः पितरो जीवाय, नमो वः पितरः स्वधायै, नमो वः पितरो घोराय, नमो वः पितरो मन्यवे। नमो वः पितरो गृहान्नः क्षीयतां न; पितरो दत्तं गृह्णीत। नमो वः पितरो दध्मे; तद्वः पितरो वासः।” मातामहानां त्रिरञ्जलिदानं, ततः मातृप्रभृतीनां मातृबन्धूनां च यथाविधि दानम्।
Lord Vishnu instructing Garuda (Vinata-putra) on pitṛ-tarpaṇa/śrāddha procedure
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitamaha/Prapitāmaha (and maternal ancestors thereafter)
Timing: During śrāddha/tarpaṇa sequence; also applicable on amāvāsyā or pitṛ-kāla per gṛhya custom
Concept: Pitṛ-tarpaṇa as a sustaining duty that preserves lineage, household prosperity, and reciprocal obligation between living and ancestors.
Vedantic Theme: ṛṇa-traya (especially pitṛ-ṛṇa) and yajña as purifier/support of social-cosmic order; subtle continuity of saṃskāra across generations.
Application: Perform añjali-dāna/tarpaṇa with mantras; include paternal and maternal lines; frame offerings as both gratitude and protection of household welfare.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: ritual space (gṛhya) with water-offering locus
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Śrāddha-kalpa sections on tarpaṇa and pitṛ-invocation (adjacent adhyāyas 215–216 context)
FAQs
This verse frames tarpaṇa as a direct act of nourishment and honoring of the Pitṛs through svadhā-based salutations, linking ancestral satisfaction with the well-being of the household and the orderly continuation of dharma.
While not describing the post-mortem journey directly, it shows the Garuda Purana’s ritual logic: offerings to Pitṛs support the departed’s ancestral integration and maintain auspicious conditions for descendants, which the text treats as part of the broader after-death framework of rites.
Perform tarpaṇa/śrāddha with mindful gratitude—include both paternal and maternal lineages, recite the pitṛ salutations with clarity, and treat charity/offerings as sacred duties that sustain family harmony and ethical continuity.