Shloka 133

Dharma–Adharma Marks; Daśāha, Piṇḍa Formation, Śrāddha Calendar, Śayyā-dāna, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Rules

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां पुत्रहीनानां पत्री कुर्यात् सपिण्डनम् / ऋत्विजं करायेद्वाथ पुरोहितमथापि वा

Transliteration

sarveṣāṃ putrahīnānāṃ patrī kuryāt sapiṇḍanam / ṛtvijaṃ karāyedvātha purohitamathāpi vā

Translation

สำหรับผู้ที่ถึงแก่กรรมโดยไม่มีบุตรชาย ภรรยาพึงประกอบพิธีสปิณฑีกรณ (สปิณฺฑีกรณ) เพื่อผนวกผู้ล่วงลับเข้ากับสายบรรพชน หรือให้ฤตวิกหรือปุโรหิตประกอบแทนก็ได้

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• पुत्रहीनानाम्: of those without sons
• पुत्रहीनानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुत्रेण हीन)

• पत्री: the letter/document (patrī)
• पत्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रिन्/पत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• सपिण्डनम्: sapiṇḍana rite (making into one piṇḍa/kinship offering)
• सपिण्डनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + पिण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ऋत्विजम्: the officiating priest
• ऋत्विजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• कारयेत्: should cause (him) to do / should have (it) done
• कारयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Causative (णिच्) base कारय-, Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अनन्तरार्थक/प्रस्तावक-अव्यय)

• पुरोहितम्: the family priest
• पुरोहितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Sapindana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: After preta-kriyā period as prescribed; performed to join the departed with pitṛs when no son is available.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adhikāra (eligibility) and delegation in śrāddha: when no son exists, the patnī may perform or commission sapiṇḍīkaraṇa to secure pitṛ-sambandha.

Vedantic Theme: Kartṛtva-niyama within varṇāśrama-dharma; karma as a means to uphold ṛṇa (pitṛ-ṛṇa) and social-cosmic order (ṛta).

Application: If a man dies sonless, arrange sapiṇḍīkaraṇa through the widow or via ṛtvik/purohita with proper saṅkalpa, ensuring lineage-rites are not abandoned.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: griha (household) / shraddha-vedi

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Śrāddha-prakaraṇa: sapiṇḍīkaraṇa rules; piṇḍa-dāna eligibility discussions

Characters & Entities

• Rtvij (officiating priest)
• Purohita (family priest)
• Pitris (implied through sapiṇḍīkaraṇa)

FAQs

What is the importance of sapiṇḍīkaraṇa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents sapiṇḍīkaraṇa as the key rite that connects the departed to the ancestral group (pitṛ-line), ensuring proper ancestral status even when the deceased has no son.

Who should perform the rites if the deceased is putrahina (without a son)?

The verse explicitly authorizes the wife to perform sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, or to have it performed through an officiating priest (ṛtvik) or a family priest (purohita).

Practical application of this teaching today?

If customary performers are unavailable, the teaching emphasizes continuity of essential rites through authorized agents—especially the spouse and qualified priests—so that duties to ancestors are not neglected.