Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 1
Sapindīkaraṇa: Timing, Eligibility, Gotra Rules, and Yearlong Śrāddha
with Vṛṣotsarga and Ghaṭa-dāna
मृतबालान्त्येष्टिभिन्नाभिन्नसुतकृतान्त्येष्ट्योर्वर्णनं नाम पञ्चविंशो ऽध्यायः गरुड उवाच / सत्यं ब्रूहि सुरश्रेष्ठ कृपां कृत्वा मयि प्रभो / मृतानां चैव जन्तूनां कदा कुर्यात्सपिण्डनम्
mṛtabālāntyeṣṭibhinnābhinnasutakṛtāntyeṣṭyorvarṇanaṃ nāma pañcaviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ garuḍa uvāca / satyaṃ brūhi suraśreṣṭha kṛpāṃ kṛtvā mayi prabho / mṛtānāṃ caiva jantūnāṃ kadā kuryātsapiṇḍanam
گرُڑ نے کہا—اے دیوتاؤں میں برتر، اے پرَبھُو! مجھ پر کرپا کرکے سچ بتائیے۔ فوت شدہ جانداروں کے لیے سپِنڈن (پِنڈ دان کے ذریعے پِتروں کی پرمپرا میں ملاپ) کی رسم کب کرنی چاہیے؟
Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu (Hari)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Ritual Type: Sapindana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Query about the proper time for performing sapiṇḍana for the departed (procedural answer follows in subsequent verses).
Concept: Proper timing of sapiṇḍana for the departed is essential for their post-mortem welfare and lineage integration.
Vedantic Theme: Pitṛ-ṛṇa (debt to ancestors) and dharma as a means to support subtle journey; ritual as a bridge between gross and subtle orders.
Application: Consult tradition/competent priestly guidance for correct sapiṇḍana timing; perform rites with sincerity and accuracy for the deceased.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: dialogue setting (implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: chapters on antyeṣṭi, preta-śrāddha, and sapiṇḍīkaraṇa (immediate context)
FAQs
This verse frames sapiṇḍana as a crucial post-death rite that ritually links the departed being with the ancestral (pitṛ) lineage through piṇḍa offerings, indicating its importance in completing pitṛ-related duties.
By asking the correct timing for sapiṇḍana, the verse implies that the departed passes through a transitional state where properly timed rites support the soul’s onward movement and its relationship to the pitṛs.
It encourages performing śrāddha-related duties with correct procedure and timing under learned guidance, treating post-death rites as disciplined dharma rather than improvisation.