Shloka 37

Garuḍa’s Return to Vaikuṇṭha and the Comprehensive Inquiry into Death-Rites and the Preta’s Journey

Devanagari script

किमर्थं चत्वरे दुग्धं यात्रे पक्वे च मृन्मये / काष्ठत्रयं गणाबद्धं कृत्वा रात्रौ चतुष्पथे

Transliteration

kimarthaṃ catvare dugdhaṃ yātre pakve ca mṛnmaye / kāṣṭhatrayaṃ gaṇābaddhaṃ kṛtvā rātrau catuṣpathe

Translation

ด้วยเหตุใดจึงถวาย น้ำนม ที่สี่แยก และเหตุใดจึงหุงอาหารสำหรับการเดินทางในหม้อดิน อีกทั้งเหตุใดในยามค่ำ ณ ทางสี่แพร่งจึงผูกไม้สามท่อนเข้าด้วยกันแล้วตั้งไว้

Word by Word

• kimartham: why? for what purpose?
• kimartham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kimartham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — प्रश्न (interrogative adverb)

• catvare: at the crossroads/square
• catvare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• dugdham: milk
• dugdham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dugdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yātre: in a journey/at travel-time
• yātre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• pakve: cooked/ripe
• pakve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — विशेषण (qualifying yātre/mṛnmaye contextually)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय (conjunction)

• mṛnmaye: in an earthen (vessel)
• mṛnmaye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛn-maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (मृद्+मय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kāṣṭha: wood
• kāṣṭha: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• trayam: a set of three pieces (of wood)
• trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (काष्ठ+त्रयम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• gaṇābaddham: tied/bound with a cord/with a bundle
• gaṇābaddham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṇā-baddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (गणया/गणेन + बद्ध), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषण (काष्ठत्रयम्)

• kṛtvā: having done/made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• catuṣpathe: at the four-way crossing
• catuṣpathe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣ-patha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समस्तपद (चतुष्+पथ), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) questioning Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: During the early post-cremation/preta period; night-time crossroads observance

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific transitional offerings (milk at crossroads, journey-food in earthen pot, wooden triad at night) are karmic supports and protections for the departed’s passage and for the living household’s śānti.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual action addresses subtle consequences (adṛṣṭa) within saṃsāra; ordered karma mitigates fear and disorder during transition.

Application: When following tradition, understand these acts as boundary-protection and transition-support; perform with cleanliness, intention, and safety (especially at night/public places).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: crossroads (public liminal space)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa motifs of crossroads offerings and preta-protection (general internal theme); Adjacent questions 2.1.38–2.1.39 continuing rationale for lamp, dāhodaka, and piṇḍas

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of offering milk at a crossroads in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames it as a deliberate rite connected to the departed one’s passage (yātrā), asking why milk is placed at the crossroads—an in-between space associated with transitional, protective, and appeasement rituals in post-death observances.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By focusing on yātrā-related acts (special cooking, offerings at catuṣpatha, and symbolic placements), the verse highlights that the post-death journey is treated as a structured transition requiring ritual supports and safeguards.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It underscores intentionality in last rites: perform prescribed observances carefully, with a focus on aiding transition and maintaining dharmic discipline rather than treating rituals as empty custom.