Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 38

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

दुग्धं भोज्यं ताशक्ति बालानां च प्रदीयते / आ चूडात्पञ्चवर्षे तु देहदाहो विधीयते

Transliteration

dugdhaṃ bhojyaṃ tāśakti bālānāṃ ca pradīyate / ā cūḍātpañcavarṣe tu dehadāho vidhīyate

Translation

بچوں کے لیے اپنی استطاعت کے مطابق دودھ اور مناسب غذا پیش کی جائے؛ اور چُوڑا کرم سے لے کر پانچ برس کی عمر تک جسم کا دَہن (تجہیز و تکفین میں سوزاندن) مقرر ہے۔

Word by Word

• दुग्धम्: milk
• दुग्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भोज्यम्: food; edible (things)
• भोज्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (fit to be eaten/food), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ताशक्ति: according to ability
• ताशक्ति: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (यथाशक्ति), अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

• बालानाम्: of/for children
• बालानाम्: Sambandha (For whom/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• प्रदीयते: is given
• प्रदीयते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is given)

• आ: up to
• आ: Sambandha (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि-निर्देशक-अव्यय (up to)

• चूडात्: from/until the tonsure (cūḍā)
• चूडात्: Apadana (Limit-from/Until)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular)

• पञ्चवर्षे: at five years (of age)
• पञ्चवर्षे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (पञ्च वर्षाणि यस्य/परिमाणम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• देहदाहः: burning/cremation of the body
• देहदाहः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + दाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देहस्य दाहः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विधीयते: is prescribed
• विधीयते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is prescribed/ordained)

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: For young children, offer milk/food according to capacity; from cūḍākaraṇa up to five years, cremation is prescribed.

Vedantic Theme: Compassionate dharma: proportionality (yathā-śakti) and age-appropriate saṃskāra duties; body as perishable, rites as orderly closure.

Application: Perform child-related offerings with gentleness and means; follow age-based funeral method (cremation) where enjoined.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cremation-ground

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.24.39 (continuation: offerings and class-based rites beyond five years)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Children
• Cūḍā-karma (tonsure rite)

FAQs

What is the importance of age-based funeral rules in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links appropriate offerings (milk/food) for children with a specific injunction about cremation up to age five, showing that rites vary by age and life-stage samskāras.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana death rituals (antyeṣṭi)?

It provides a practical rule within the Preta-kāṇḍa’s ritual framework: what to offer for children and when deha-dāha (cremation) is prescribed, anchored to the cūḍā (tonsure) milestone and the five-year limit.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing last rites, follow tradition with sensitivity: make offerings within one’s means and consult a qualified priest/family tradition for age-specific procedures, especially in cases of child death.