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Shloka 1

Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death

Devanagari script

और्ध्वदेहिककर्मणि पुत्रदर्भतिलतुलसीगोभूलेपताम्रपात्रदाना दीनामावश्यकत्वनिरूपणं नामैकोनत्रिशो ऽध्यायः श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / शृणु तार्क्ष्य परं गुह्यं दानानां दानमुत्तमम् / परमं सर्वदानानां परं गोप्यं दिवौकसाम्

Transliteration

aurdhvadehikakarmaṇi putradarbhatilatulasīgobhūlepatāmrapātradānā dīnāmāvaśyakatvanirūpaṇaṃ nāmaikonatriśo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / śṛṇu tārkṣya paraṃ guhyaṃ dānānāṃ dānamuttamam / paramaṃ sarvadānānāṃ paraṃ gopyaṃ divaukasām

Translation

พระศรีกฤษณะตรัสว่า “โอ้ ตารกษยะ (ครุฑ) จงฟังเถิด นี่คือความลับสูงสุด—เป็นทานอันประเสริฐในบรรดาทานทั้งปวง เป็นยอดแห่งการให้ทั้งสิ้น และเป็นคำสอนที่ปกปิดยิ่งแม้ในหมู่ชาวสวรรค์”

Word by Word
और्ध्वदेहिककर्मणिin the post-funeral rites
और्ध्वदेहिककर्मणि:
Adhikarana (Topic/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootaurdhva-dehika + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (और्ध्वदेहिकं कर्म); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन
पुत्रदर्भतिलतुलसीगोभूलेपताम्रपात्रदाना(chapter on) gifts of son, darbha, sesame, tulasi, cow, earth-plaster, copper-vessel
पुत्रदर्भतिलतुलसीगोभूलेपताम्रपात्रदाना:
Karta (Title/topic/कर्ता-प्राय)
TypeNoun
Rootputra + darbha + tila + tulasī + go + bhū-lepa + tāmra-pātra + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formबहुपद-द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (शीर्षक-रूपेण)
दीनाम्of the poor
दीनाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootdīna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/स्त्री/नपुंसक (सामान्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन
आवश्यकत्वनिरूपणम्determination of necessity
आवश्यकत्वनिरूपणम्:
Karma (Apposition/कर्म-प्राय)
TypeNoun
Rootāvaśyaka-tva + nirūpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (आवश्यकत्वस्य निरूपणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
नामnamed; called
नाम:
Sambandha (Discourse marker/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnāma (अव्यय)
Formनाम-शब्दः (quotative/label particle)
एकोनत्रिशःtwenty-ninth
एकोनत्रिशः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rooteka-ūna-triṃśat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसंख्यावाचक-तत्पुरुष (एकेन ऊना त्रिंशत् = 29); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootadhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन
श्रीकृष्णःŚrī Kṛṣṇa
श्रीकृष्णः:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī-kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् कृष्णः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
शृणुlisten
शृणु:
Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
TypeVerb
Rootśru (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
तार्क्ष्यO Tārkṣya (Garuda)
तार्क्ष्य:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Roottārkṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
परम्supreme
परम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
गुह्यम्secret
गुह्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootguhya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
दानानाम्of gifts
दानानाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootdāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन
दानम्gift
दानम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
उत्तमम्best
उत्तमम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
परमम्highest
परमम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootparama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
सर्वदानानाम्of all gifts
सर्वदानानाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootsarva + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषां दानानाम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
परम्supreme
परम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
गोप्यम्to be kept secret
गोप्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootgopya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
दिवौकसाम्of the dwellers in heaven (gods)
दिवौकसाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootdiv + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (दिवि ओकः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa (as the instructing Lord, in dialogue with Garuda/Tārkṣya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Post-death rites (auर्ध्वदेहika/antyeṣṭi-śrāddha continuum)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Necessity of specific post-death rite supports (putra, darbha, tila, tulasī, go, bhū-lepa, tāmra-pātra dāna) and the supremacy of certain dānas.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as saṃskāra-sustaining order; ritual action as purifier and as compassionate support for the departed (preta-hitārtha).

Application: Prepare for and perform antyeṣṭi/śrāddha with proper materials and charitable giving; cultivate family responsibility and community support systems.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: divine discourse setting (Kṛṣṇa–Tārkṣya saṃvāda)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Śrāddha-kalpa materials: darbha, tila, pātra, go-dāna, tulasī usage; Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta-uddhāra through rites and dāna

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda (Tārkṣya)
D
Devas (Divaukas)

FAQs

This verse introduces dāna as a “supreme secret” and the “highest among all gifts,” framing charitable offerings used in āurdhva-dehika rites as indispensable supports for proper post-death observance.

Indirectly, it sets the ritual foundation: the Garuda Purana treats post-death rites and prescribed gifts (like tila, darbha, and go-dāna) as necessary provisions that aid the departed’s transition, which later chapters connect to the preta’s onward journey.

Perform post-death rites with sincerity and purity, and prioritize meaningful, tradition-aligned charity (especially items used in rites) as an ethical act of support for family duties and remembrance of the departed.

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