Shloka 45
Akalamṛtyu-kāraṇa and Bāla Antyeṣṭi: Age-graded Funeral Rites, Śrāddha Types, and Sonship Duties
कलिकलुषविमुक्तः पूजितः सिद्धसङ्घैरमरचमरमालावीज्यमानो ऽप्सरोभिः / पितृशतमपि बन्धून्पुत्त्रपौत्त्रप्रपौत्त्रानपि नरकनिमग्नानुद्धरेदेक एव
kalikaluṣavimuktaḥ pūjitaḥ siddhasaṅghairamaracamaramālāvījyamāno 'psarobhiḥ / pitṛśatamapi bandhūnputtrapauttraprapauttrānapi narakanimagnānuddharedeka eva
కలియుగ కలుషం నుండి విముక్తుడై, సిద్ధసంఘాలచే పూజింపబడి, అప్సరసలు దివ్య చామరమాలలతో వీచే వాడైన అతడు—ఒక్కడే నరకంలో మునిగిన వందమంది పితృులను, బంధువులను, కుమారులను, మనుమలను, పరమనుమలను కూడా उद्धరించగలడు.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: A highly purified, divinely honored person can become a savior-like support for lineage, uplifting ancestors and descendants even from hellish states.
Vedantic Theme: Grace mediated through merit and devotion; intergenerational karma-relations and the possibility of uplift through a single sattvic/viṣṇu-bhakta agent.
Application: Pursue purity and devotion (especially in Kali-yuga) through nāma-japa, worship, charity, and śrāddha; dedicate merit for ancestors and family welfare.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial court
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: passages on śrāddha/puṇya transferring benefit to pitṛs; Garuda Purana: Kali-yuga doṣa and remedies via Viṣṇu-nāma and dharma (thematic parallel)
FAQs
This verse teaches that a single highly purified and spiritually honored person can generate merit powerful enough to uplift even many forefathers (Pitṛs) and descendants, indicating the Purana’s strong emphasis on intergenerational karmic bonds and ancestor welfare.
It states that even those “sunk in Naraka” can be “uddhared” (raised up) through the exceptional merit of one liberated-from-Kali person—implying that spiritual attainment and accrued dharma can counteract severe afterlife suffering within the Purāṇic framework.
Cultivate purity of conduct and devotion (reducing Kali-doṣa), and support ancestor-oriented duties like śrāddha and pinda-dāna with sincere faith—because the text frames personal spiritual discipline as benefiting not only oneself but one’s entire lineage.