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Shloka 1

Akalamṛtyu-kāraṇa and Bāla Antyeṣṭi: Age-graded Funeral Rites, Śrāddha Types, and Sonship Duties

Devanagari script

ऽल्पायुर्मरणहे तुबालान्त्येष्ट्योर्निरूपणं नाम चतुर्विशो ऽध्यायः श्रीविष्णुरुवाच / अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि पुरुषस्त्री विनिर्णयम् / जीवन्वापि मृतो वापि पञ्चवर्षाधिको ऽपि वा

Transliteration

'lpāyurmaraṇahe tubālāntyeṣṭyornirūpaṇaṃ nāma caturviśo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīviṣṇuruvāca / ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi puruṣastrī vinirṇayam / jīvanvāpi mṛto vāpi pañcavarṣādhiko 'pi vā

Translation

یہ چوبیسواں باب ہے—‘کم عمری (بے وقت) موت کے اسباب اور بچے کی انتیشٹی کے احکام’۔ شری وِشنو نے فرمایا—اب اس کے بعد میں مرد و عورت کے بارے میں درست فیصلہ بیان کروں گا؛ بچہ زندہ ہو یا فوت، اور اگر عمر پانچ برس سے زیادہ بھی ہو تب بھی۔

Word by Word
अल्पायुःshort life
अल्पायुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअल्प-आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक; अल्प + आयुस्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अल्पं आयुः)
मरणहेO (regarding) death
मरणहे:
Sambandha (Address/Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमरण-हे (अव्यय/सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
Formसम्बोधन/उद्बोधन-प्रयोग (vocative-like interjection); पाठभेद-संदिग्ध (maraṇahe)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविशेषण-अव्यय (particle)
बालान्त्येष्ट्योःof the child's last rites (and) the final rites
बालान्त्येष्ट्योः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootबाल-अन्त्येष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; बाल + अन्त्येष्टि)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बालस्य अन्त्येष्टि:)
निरूपणम्exposition/description
निरूपणम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनिरूपण (प्रातिपदिक; √रूप्/रुप् + णिच्? भाव)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; शीर्षक-शब्द (title noun)
नामnamed
नाम:
Sambandha (Naming)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाम (अव्यय)
Formसंज्ञा-निर्देशक-अव्यय (particle: named)
चतुर्विंशःtwenty-fourth
चतुर्विंशः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्विंश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता/शीर्षक
श्रीविष्णुःLord Vishnu
श्रीविष्णुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्री-विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + विष्णु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बोधन-पूर्वक नाम
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
अतःthereafter/therefore
अतः:
Sambandha (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतः (अव्यय)
Formहेतु/अनन्तर-अव्यय (therefore/thereafter)
परम्further/next
परम्:
Sambandha (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative: further/next)
प्रवक्ष्यामिI shall explain
प्रवक्ष्यामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-वच् (धातु)
Formलृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन
पुरुषस्त्रीman and woman (male/female)
पुरुषस्त्री:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष-स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + स्त्री)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्वे समाहार/इतरेतर; here as pair), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
विनिर्णयम्determination/decision
विनिर्णयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootविनिर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म
जीवन्living
जीवन्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootजीवत् (कृदन्त; √जीव् (धातु) + शतृ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)
अपिalso/even
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (also/even)
मृतःdead
मृतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (or)
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (even)
पञ्चवर्षाधिकःmore than five years (old)
पञ्चवर्षाधिकः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्च-वर्ष-अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + वर्ष + अधिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पञ्च वर्षाणि अधिकः)
अपिalso/even
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (also/even)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (or)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Contextual: rites determined for child death/life status; includes cases above five years (age threshold).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Proper determination (vinirṇaya) of rites depends on age/status (living/dead; above five years), emphasizing precision in saṃskāra and antyeṣṭi duties.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as a preparatory discipline: correct saṃskāra supports order (loka-saṅgraha) and the deceased’s onward journey; acknowledges impermanence (anityatā).

Application: Follow age-appropriate funeral protocols; consult competent tradition-bearers; avoid improvisation in sensitive rites for children.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Antyeshti and shraddha procedural chapters (child rites, ekoddishta/sapindana distinctions); Garuda Purana: discussions on alpāyu and causes of untimely death in related adhyayas

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu

FAQs

This verse introduces a dedicated chapter that systematizes how last rites should be decided for children, treating proper ritual determination (vinirṇaya) as a dharmic necessity.

It states that the rules depend on clear categories—male/female and living/deceased status—and it specifically notes an age-threshold (above five years), implying differentiated procedures by age.

When a death occurs in a family—especially involving a child—seek guidance to follow age-appropriate and tradition-consistent antyeṣṭi decisions rather than applying a single uniform ritual to all cases.

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