Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 51

Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna

Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings

Devanagari script

रोदितव्यं ततो गाढमेवं तस्य सुखं भवेत् / दाहस्यानन्तरं तत्र कृत्वा सञ्चयनक्रियाम्

Transliteration

roditavyaṃ tato gāḍhamevaṃ tasya sukhaṃ bhavet / dāhasyānantaraṃ tatra kṛtvā sañcayanakriyām

Translation

Kaya nararapat na tumangis nang taimtim para sa yumao; sa ganitong paraan, dumarating ang ginhawa sa kanya. At matapos ang pagsusunog ng bangkay, doon ay isagawa ang ritwal ng pagtipon ng mga buto at abo.

Word by Word

• रोदितव्यम्: should be wept/cried
• रोदितव्यम्: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय-भावः (कर्तव्यता/अनिवार्यता) — gerundive/obligatory ‘should be cried’

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—सम्बन्ध/क्रमसूचक (thereafter/then)

• गाढम्: deeply/intensely
• गाढम्: Visheshana (Manner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गाढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (intensely)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of him/of that person)

• सुखम्: comfort/happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तृ/विधेय-नाम (subject complement)

• भवेत्: may be/would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दाहस्य: of the cremation
• दाहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the cremation/burning)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् कालवाचक प्रयोगः (immediately after)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there/in that place)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• सञ्चयनक्रियाम्: the collection/assembling rite (of bones/ashes)
• सञ्चयनक्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सञ्चयन (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सञ्चयनस्य क्रिया)

Speaker

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

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Immediately after cremation (dāhānantaram), during sañcayana (collection of bones/ashes).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Grief is to be ritually expressed and then channeled into correct funerary procedure; sañcayana supports the departed’s welfare and the living’s dharmic closure.

Vedantic Theme: Anityatā of the body; dharma as purifier of mind (citta-śuddhi) amid saṃsāra’s inevitability.

Application: Allow dignified mourning, then promptly perform sañcayana after cremation according to family custom and local śāstra.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: antyeṣṭi-krama, piṇḍa/tilodaka and post-cremation duties (adjacent verses in 2.15)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Preta
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of sañcayana (collection of ashes and bones) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse explicitly instructs that after cremation one should perform sañcayana; it is treated as a necessary post-cremation rite that supports the departed’s onward transition and ritual completeness.

How does this verse describe the role of mourning in the soul’s journey?

It states that intense, sincere weeping is considered to bring “sukha” (ease/comfort) to the departed, indicating that proper, heartfelt mourning is part of the prescribed post-death observances within the Preta context.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Follow a structured post-cremation routine: allow genuine grieving without suppression, and ensure the sañcayana/ashes-collection step is performed respectfully and in a timely manner as part of completing funeral duties.