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Shloka 1

Akalamṛtyu-kāraṇa and Bāla Antyeṣṭi: Age-graded Funeral Rites, Śrāddha Types, and Sonship Duties

Devanagari script

ऽल्पायुर्मरणहे तुबालान्त्येष्ट्योर्निरूपणं नाम चतुर्विशो ऽध्यायः श्रीविष्णुरुवाच / अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि पुरुषस्त्री विनिर्णयम् / जीवन्वापि मृतो वापि पञ्चवर्षाधिको ऽपि वा

Transliteration

'lpāyurmaraṇahe tubālāntyeṣṭyornirūpaṇaṃ nāma caturviśo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīviṣṇuruvāca / ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi puruṣastrī vinirṇayam / jīvanvāpi mṛto vāpi pañcavarṣādhiko 'pi vā

Translation

นี่คือบทที่ยี่สิบสี่ ชื่อว่า “การอธิบายเหตุแห่งมรณะก่อนวัย (อายุสั้น) และพิธีอันตเยษฏิสำหรับเด็ก”. พระศรีวิษณุตรัสว่า “ต่อแต่นี้เราจักกล่าวการวินิจฉัยที่ถูกต้องว่าด้วยชายและหญิง—ไม่ว่าเด็กยังมีชีวิตหรือถึงมรณา และแม้อายุเกินห้าปีก็ตาม”.

Word by Word
अल्पायुःshort life
अल्पायुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअल्प-आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक; अल्प + आयुस्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अल्पं आयुः)
मरणहेO (regarding) death
मरणहे:
Sambandha (Address/Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमरण-हे (अव्यय/सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
Formसम्बोधन/उद्बोधन-प्रयोग (vocative-like interjection); पाठभेद-संदिग्ध (maraṇahe)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविशेषण-अव्यय (particle)
बालान्त्येष्ट्योःof the child's last rites (and) the final rites
बालान्त्येष्ट्योः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootबाल-अन्त्येष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; बाल + अन्त्येष्टि)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बालस्य अन्त्येष्टि:)
निरूपणम्exposition/description
निरूपणम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनिरूपण (प्रातिपदिक; √रूप्/रुप् + णिच्? भाव)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; शीर्षक-शब्द (title noun)
नामnamed
नाम:
Sambandha (Naming)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाम (अव्यय)
Formसंज्ञा-निर्देशक-अव्यय (particle: named)
चतुर्विंशःtwenty-fourth
चतुर्विंशः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्विंश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता/शीर्षक
श्रीविष्णुःLord Vishnu
श्रीविष्णुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्री-विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + विष्णु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बोधन-पूर्वक नाम
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
अतःthereafter/therefore
अतः:
Sambandha (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतः (अव्यय)
Formहेतु/अनन्तर-अव्यय (therefore/thereafter)
परम्further/next
परम्:
Sambandha (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative: further/next)
प्रवक्ष्यामिI shall explain
प्रवक्ष्यामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-वच् (धातु)
Formलृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन
पुरुषस्त्रीman and woman (male/female)
पुरुषस्त्री:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष-स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + स्त्री)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्वे समाहार/इतरेतर; here as pair), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
विनिर्णयम्determination/decision
विनिर्णयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootविनिर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म
जीवन्living
जीवन्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootजीवत् (कृदन्त; √जीव् (धातु) + शतृ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)
अपिalso/even
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (also/even)
मृतःdead
मृतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (or)
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (even)
पञ्चवर्षाधिकःmore than five years (old)
पञ्चवर्षाधिकः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्च-वर्ष-अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + वर्ष + अधिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पञ्च वर्षाणि अधिकः)
अपिalso/even
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (also/even)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (or)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Contextual: rites determined for child death/life status; includes cases above five years (age threshold).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Proper determination (vinirṇaya) of rites depends on age/status (living/dead; above five years), emphasizing precision in saṃskāra and antyeṣṭi duties.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as a preparatory discipline: correct saṃskāra supports order (loka-saṅgraha) and the deceased’s onward journey; acknowledges impermanence (anityatā).

Application: Follow age-appropriate funeral protocols; consult competent tradition-bearers; avoid improvisation in sensitive rites for children.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Antyeshti and shraddha procedural chapters (child rites, ekoddishta/sapindana distinctions); Garuda Purana: discussions on alpāyu and causes of untimely death in related adhyayas

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu

FAQs

This verse introduces a dedicated chapter that systematizes how last rites should be decided for children, treating proper ritual determination (vinirṇaya) as a dharmic necessity.

It states that the rules depend on clear categories—male/female and living/deceased status—and it specifically notes an age-threshold (above five years), implying differentiated procedures by age.

When a death occurs in a family—especially involving a child—seek guidance to follow age-appropriate and tradition-consistent antyeṣṭi decisions rather than applying a single uniform ritual to all cases.

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