Shloka 24

Determining Rites for Difficult/Inauspicious Deaths; Annual and Daily Śrāddha Rules

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तेन प्रकारेण यः कुर्यान्मृतवासरम् / अविज्ञातमृताहस्य सततं तारयत्यसौ

Transliteration

ityuktena prakāreṇa yaḥ kuryānmṛtavāsaram / avijñātamṛtāhasya satataṃ tārayatyasau

Translation

इत्युक्तप्रकारेण यः मृतवासरं कुर्यात्, अविज्ञातमृताहस्यापि, स नित्यं प्रेतं तारयति।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), उद्धरणार्थे “thus/so”

• उक्तेन: by what has been said
• उक्तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भव; विशेषण

• प्रकारेण: by the method
• प्रकारेण: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मृतवासरम्: the day of death (death-day)
• मृतवासरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): मृतस्य वासरः; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अविज्ञात: unknown
• अविज्ञात: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविज्ञात (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन-सम्भव; अत्र समासे विशेषणरूपेण

• मृताहस्य: of the death-day
• मृताहस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत + अहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मृतस्य अहः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सततम्: always
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) अव्ययप्रयोगः

• तारयति: causes to cross; delivers
• तारयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) (तारयति-णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद, णिच् (causative)

• असौ: that person (he)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Mṛtavāsara observance; applicable even when exact death-day/tithi is unknown (performed as per stated procedure).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Properly performed rites for the deceased bear ongoing beneficial effect (tāraṇa) even when the exact tithi/day is unknown.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa efficacy through śraddhā and vidhi; compassionate duty (ṛṇa) toward ancestors within saṃsāra.

Application: If the exact date of death is unknown (travel, disaster, missing records), perform the rite per prescribed method rather than abandoning it; prioritize sincerity and procedural correctness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.45.25 (nitya-śrāddha dedication to pitṛ-gaṇas); Garuda Purana 2.45.26 (components: āvāhana, svadhā, piṇḍa, niyama)

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of mṛtavāsara in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that performing mṛtavāsara according to the prescribed method benefits the departed by aiding their “crossing over,” making it a key supportive rite for the deceased.

What if the exact date of death is unknown—can rites still be effective?

Yes. The verse explicitly says that even when the death-day is not ascertained (avijñāta-mṛtāha), doing the rite as instructed still continuously helps the departed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow an authentic, text-based procedure for memorial rites with sincerity; even when details like the exact death date are uncertain, disciplined observance and dharmic intent are presented as beneficial to the departed.