Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 11
Preta-bhāva: Causes, Remedies, and the Rationale of Post-death Rites
Question-Catalogue
तिला लोहं हिरण्यं च कार्पासं लवणं तथा / सप्तधान्यं क्षितिर्गावो दीयते केन हे तुना
tilā lohaṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca kārpāsaṃ lavaṇaṃ tathā / saptadhānyaṃ kṣitirgāvo dīyate kena he tunā
تل، لوہا، سونا، کپاس اور نمک؛ سات قسم کے اناج، زمین اور گائیں—اے معزز، یہ سب خیرات کس سبب سے دی جاتی ہے؟
Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Antyeṣṭi/uttara-kriyā and subsequent śrāddha sequence (contextual)
Concept: Dāna as a dharmic instrument that transfers merit, removes obstacles, and supports the departed’s onward journey.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as preparatory purification (citta-śuddhi) aiding higher pursuit; impermanence of possessions and their sanctification through offering.
Application: When performing funerary/ancestral rites, give prescribed items with intention (saṅkalpa) and purity, prioritizing capacity and sincerity over display.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: ritual-space (gṛha/śmaśāna context implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Antyeṣṭi-vidhi sections on dāna of tila, loha, hiraṇya, lavaṇa, dhānya, go-dāna, bhū-dāna
FAQs
This verse frames these items as standard śrāddha/dāna materials and asks the underlying purpose—setting up the teaching that such gifts support rites for the departed and are prescribed as meritorious, tradition-backed donations.
Indirectly: it occurs in the Preta Kanda context where Garuda inquires about ritual supports for the departed; the verse signals that specific donations are connected to post-death observances and their intended effects, which are explained in the surrounding discourse.
If performing śrāddha or memorial charity, follow dharmic guidance: give meaningful, useful essentials (food grains, clothing material, support for livelihood) with sincerity and right intention, rather than treating ritual giving as a mere formality.