Shloka 43
Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death
वयमापो वयं पृथ्वी वयं दर्भा वयं तिलाः / वयं गावो वयं राजा वयं वायुर्वयं प्रजाः
vayamāpo vayaṃ pṛthvī vayaṃ darbhā vayaṃ tilāḥ / vayaṃ gāvo vayaṃ rājā vayaṃ vāyurvayaṃ prajāḥ
“เราคือน้ำ เราคือแผ่นดิน เราคือหญ้าดัรภะ เราคือเมล็ดงา เราคือโค เราคือพระราชา เราคือลม เราคือปวงประชา—สรรพชีวิตทั้งหลาย”
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within the Preta Kanda discourse on post-death rites and cosmic constituents)
Concept: A unitive vision where elements, ritual implements, and social order are seen as one continuum—often read as a formula of identification dissolving ‘otherness’.
Vedantic Theme: Interconnectedness under Īśvara; movement toward non-separative cognition (abheda-darśana) while retaining ritual-world symbolism.
Application: In ritual or daily life, treat resources (water/earth), sacred tools (darbha/tila), and social roles (ruler/subjects) as mutually dependent; act with reverence and responsibility toward the whole system.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: ritual/cosmic enumeration
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.30.42 (sarvaṃ viṣṇumayam)
FAQs
This verse groups darbha and tila with fundamental supports of life (water, earth, wind), indicating they are not mere materials but ritually potent representatives of cosmic order used to stabilize and sanctify śrāddha and piṇḍa offerings.
By identifying ritual substances and social supports (king, subjects) with cosmic elements, the verse frames śrāddha as aligning the departed with the universal order—an alignment believed to aid the preta’s transition and well-being in the post-death journey described in the Preta Kanda.
Perform ancestral rites with purity and intention, recognizing that simple offerings (water, sesame, darbha) symbolize responsibility to family, society, and nature—encouraging ethical living and gratitude toward all sustaining forces.