Shloka 28

Sapindīkaraṇa: Timing, Eligibility, Gotra Rules, and Yearlong Śrāddha

with Vṛṣotsarga and Ghaṭa-dāna

Devanagari script

कृतचूडोपनीतश्च पितुः श्राद्धं समाचरेत् / उच्चारयेत्स्वधाकारं न तु वेदाक्षराण्यसौ

Transliteration

kṛtacūḍopanītaśca pituḥ śrāddhaṃ samācaret / uccārayetsvadhākāraṃ na tu vedākṣarāṇyasau

Translation

ผู้ที่ได้ทำพิธีจูฑาและอุปนยนะแล้ว พึงประกอบศราทธ์แก่บิดาโดยถูกต้อง เขาอาจกล่าวคำว่า ‘สวธา’ ได้ แต่ไม่พึงสวดอักษรหรือมนตร์พระเวท

Word by Word

• कृतचूडोपनीतः: one who has had the tonsure and has been initiated
• कृतचूडोपनीतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ-धातोः क्त) + चूडा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपनीत (प्रातिपदिक; √नी-धातोः क्त, उपसर्ग-उप)
• Form: बहुपद-समास (कृतचूडा + उपनीत; ‘whose tonsure is done and who is initiated’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: “and”)

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should duly perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्गयुक्त-धातु (sam-ā-car)

• उच्चारयेत्: should utter/recite
• उच्चारयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + चर् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोग (causative), विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्वधाकारम्: the utterance ‘svadhā’
• स्वधाकारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधा (अव्यय/मन्त्रशब्द) + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (स्वधा-शब्दस्य कारः/उच्चारणम्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Negation (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation: “not”)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/however)

• वेदाक्षराणि: Vedic syllables (Vedic mantras)
• वेदाक्षराणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Vedic syllables), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• असौ: he (that person)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (pronoun: “he/that person”)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Performed as father’s śrāddha according to prescribed tithi/occasion; mantra portions may be delegated to priest.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: An initiated person (tonsured and upanīta) should perform father’s śrāddha; he may utter ‘svadhā’ but should not recite Vedic mantras/syllables—indicating graded ritual authority.

Vedantic Theme: Adhikāra-bheda (graded eligibility) in dharma; speech acts have ritual potency and must align with competence and injunction.

Application: Allow qualified family members to perform śrāddha with correct invocations; reserve Vedic mantra recitation for those authorized/trained (or for the priest), while the performer maintains saṅkalpa and offerings.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: household śrāddha space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana śrāddha chapters on who may recite what (svadhā vs Vedic mantras) and the role of priests in mantra portions

Characters & Entities

• Pitris
• Father (Pitṛ)

FAQs

What is the importance of saying “svadhā” in Garuda Purana śrāddha?

This verse treats “svadhā” as the appropriate Pitṛ-invocation for śrāddha offerings, marking the act as directed to the ancestors rather than as a Vedic mantra-recitation.

Why does the verse restrict reciting Vedic syllables during this śrāddha?

It distinguishes between permitted śrāddha utterances (svadhā) and formal Vedic mantra recitation, indicating that the performer here should do the rite without using Vedic mantras.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform ancestral rites with care for eligibility and procedure—use the appropriate śrāddha formulas and, when Vedic mantras are required, rely on a qualified officiant rather than improvising.