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Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

गृहस्थे प्रोषिते यच्च कश्चित्तु म्रियते गृहे / आसौचापगमे यत्र प्रारब्धे श्राद्धकर्मणि

Transliteration

gṛhasthe proṣite yacca kaścittu mriyate gṛhe / āsaucāpagame yatra prārabdhe śrāddhakarmaṇi

Translation

గృహస్థుడు ఇంటి నుంచి దూరంగా ఉన్నప్పుడు ఇంట్లో ఎవరో మరణిస్తే, ఆశౌచం తొలగిన తరువాత, ప్రేతునిమిత్తం శ్రాద్ధకర్మను ప్రారంభించాలి।

Word by Word
गृहस्थेin the householder (state/condition)
गृहस्थे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootगृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)
प्रोषितेwhen (he) is away
प्रोषिते:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रोषित (कृदन्त; √वस् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्रो + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘gone away/absent’
यत्which/that (event)
यत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
कश्चित्someone
कश्चित्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)
तुindeed/but
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)
म्रियतेdies
म्रियते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√मृ (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘dies’
गृहेin the house
गृहे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootगृह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण
आसौच-अपगमेat the cessation of impurity
आसौच-अपगमे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootआसौच (प्रातिपदिक) + अपगम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘आसौचस्य अपगमः’ (cessation of impurity)
यत्रwhere/when
यत्र:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयत्र (अव्यय)
Formदेश/प्रसङ्गवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where/when)
प्रारब्धेwhen begun
प्रारब्धे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रारब्ध (कृदन्त; √रभ् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्र + आ + क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त ‘begun/undertaken’ (agreeing with कर्मणि)
श्राद्ध-कर्मणिin the śrāddha rite
श्राद्ध-कर्मणि:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootश्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘श्राद्धस्य कर्म’ (rite of śrāddha)
Speaker

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

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: After the completion of āśauca, commence the śrāddha rites for the deceased when death occurred during the householder’s absence.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: If someone dies in the house while the householder is away, then after āśauca ends, begin the śrāddha rites for the departed.

Vedantic Theme: Purity/impurity as functional dharmic categories enabling proper performance of pitṛ-kriyā; compassion expressed through correct rites.

Application: In cases of death during a family head’s absence, observe āśauca as applicable and schedule śrāddha after its completion, ensuring rites are not performed prematurely.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: household

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.45 (āśauca and śrāddha sequencing)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
G
Grihastha
S
Shraddha
A
Ashauca

FAQs

This verse states that śrāddha should be undertaken only after the period of death-impurity (āśauca) has ceased, preserving ritual correctness and dharmic order.

It clarifies that even if the head of the household is absent, the household must observe āśauca and then proceed with the prescribed śrāddha rites once impurity ends.

Follow local śāstric/customary āśauca observance after a death and schedule śrāddha-related rites after that period, ensuring the family’s actions align with dharma and tradition.

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