Shloka 12
Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna
Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings
पुत्रस्तु बान्धवैः सार्धं विप्रस्तु पुरवासिभिः / पितुः प्रेतं स्वयं पुत्रः स्कन्धमारोप्य बान्धवैः
putrastu bāndhavaiḥ sārdhaṃ viprastu puravāsibhiḥ / pituḥ pretaṃ svayaṃ putraḥ skandhamāropya bāndhavaiḥ
पुत्रो बान्धवैः सह गच्छेत्, विप्रः पुरवासिभिः सह। पुत्र एव बान्धवैः सह पितुः प्रेतदेहं स्कन्धमारोप्य वहेत्॥
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)
Ritual Type: Ekoddishta
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: At the commencement of antyeṣṭi procession (immediate post-death)
Concept: Putra-dharma: the son personally undertakes the father’s last rites, supported by kin and community; collective duty upholds saṃskāra continuity.
Vedantic Theme: Embodied relationships are transient, yet dharma governs conduct within saṃsāra; fulfilling obligatory rites purifies and steadies the mind amid impermanence.
Application: Organize the funeral procession with relatives; ensure a qualified brāhmaṇa and community support; the son takes primary responsibility in carrying/overseeing the body.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: processional/public way
Related Themes: Garuda Purana sections describing putra’s role in antyeṣṭi and subsequent śrāddhas (contextual parallel within Pretakalpa/antyeṣṭi-vidhi).
FAQs
This verse assigns the son a direct dharmic duty: he personally bears and escorts the father’s departed body with the support of relatives, emphasizing filial responsibility in antyeṣṭi.
By calling the deceased ‘preta,’ the verse reflects the transitional post-death status; the body and rites are treated with ritual precision because the departed is understood to be in an in-between state requiring proper observances.
Participate responsibly in last rites—support the immediate family, follow prescribed funeral protocols, and treat the process as a duty of care and dignity rather than a mere custom.