Shloka 5

Śrāddha as Trans-realm Nourishment; Pitṛ-Conveyance; Piṇḍa-born Body and the ātivāhika; Bhakti-based Release

Devanagari script

तस्यान्नममृतं भूत्वा देवत्वे ऽप्यनुयाति च / गान्धव्ये भोगरूपेण पशुत्वे च तृणं भवेत्

Transliteration

tasyānnamamṛtaṃ bhūtvā devatve 'pyanuyāti ca / gāndhavye bhogarūpeṇa paśutve ca tṛṇaṃ bhavet

Translation

อาหารนั้นกลายเป็นอมฤตและติดตามผู้นั้นไปแม้ถึงภาวะเป็นเทพ ในกำเนิดเป็นคันธรรพ์มันเป็นรูปแห่งความเสวยสุข และเมื่อเกิดเป็นสัตว์ก็กลายเป็นหญ้าเป็นอาหาร

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• अमृतम्: nectar-like, immortal
• अमृतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अन्नम्)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having become)

• देवत्वे: in godhood
• देवत्वे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अवस्था/योनि-निर्देश (locative of state)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); अपि = even/also

• अनुयाति: follows, goes after
• अनुयाति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• गान्धव्ये: in the state of a Gandharva
• गान्धव्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अवस्था/योनि-निर्देश

• भोगरूपेण: in the form of enjoyment
• भोगरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकार (instrumental of manner); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भोगस्य रूपम्)

• पशुत्वे: in animalhood
• पशुत्वे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अवस्था/योनि-निर्देश

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तृणम्: grass
• तृणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Offerings/food given with rite and intention ‘follow’ the jīva and manifest as suitable sustenance according to the next birth-state.

Vedantic Theme: Subtle causality (adṛṣṭa) governing experience across saṃsāra; continuity of saṃskāra and karmaphala through changing upādhis.

Application: Maintain śrāddha/anna-dāna with faith and correctness; understand that support given is not wasted but reappears in fitting forms.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: śrāddha as ‘anugacchati’ (follows) the departed; discussions of piṇḍa/anna transforming for pretas and pitṛs (chapter-context dependent)

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Animals (paśu)

FAQs

What is the importance of food offerings (anna/pinda) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that offered food is not merely symbolic: it ‘follows’ the being and manifests according to the attained birth—nectar in divine states, enjoyment among Gandharvas, and fodder in animal existence—showing offerings as a karmically effective support.

How does this verse explain the soul’s journey through different births?

It links the same supportive act (food given/received as offering) to differing experiential outcomes across realms, implying that one’s karmic destination (deva, gandharva, paśu) conditions how merits and supports are ‘converted’ into lived experience.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice anna-dāna (food charity) and śrāddha-related offerings with sincerity; the teaching encourages consistent, compassionate giving, as its benefit is portrayed as enduring and adaptable across life, afterlife, and rebirth.