Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऽनशनमृत गतिनिरूपणं नाम षट्त्रिंशो ऽध्यायः तार्क्ष्य उवाच / उदकुम्भप्रदानं मे कथयस्व यथातथम् / विधिना केन कर्तव्या कृतिरेषा जनार्दन

Transliteration

'naśanamṛta gatinirūpaṇaṃ nāma ṣaṭtriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ tārkṣya uvāca / udakumbhapradānaṃ me kathayasva yathātatham / vidhinā kena kartavyā kṛtireṣā janārdana

Translation

‘فاکہ کشی سے مرنے والے کی گتی کا بیان’ نامی چھتیسواں ادھیائے۔ تارکشیہ (گرُڑ) نے کہا—اے جناردن! مجھے اُدکُمبھ دان ٹھیک ٹھیک بتائیے؛ یہ کرِیا کس مقررہ وِدھی سے کرنی چاہیے؟

Word by Word

• anaśanamṛtagatinirūpaṇam: Description of the path of those dying by fasting
• anaśanamṛtagatinirūpaṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaśanamṛtagatinirūpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nāma: Named
• nāma: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial particle indicating 'named'

• ṣaṭtriṃśaḥ: Thirty-sixth
• ṣaṭtriṃśaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭtriṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• adhyāyaḥ: Chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tārkṣyaḥ: Tarkshya (Garuda)
• tārkṣyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tārkṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: Said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Lit Lakara (Perfect), Prathama Purusha (3rd), Singular

• udakumbhapradānam: The gift of water pots
• udakumbhapradānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udakumbhapradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• me: To me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी) or Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• kathayasva: Tell/Explain
• kathayasva: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: Lot Lakara (Imperative), Madhyama Purusha (2nd), Singular, Atmanepada

• yathātatham: Truthfully / Exactly as it is
• yathātatham: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathātatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial Compound

• vidhinā: By method/rule
• vidhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• kena: By which
• kena: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• kartavyā: To be done
• kartavyā: Vidheya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Tavya Pratyaya (Potential Participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• kṛtiḥ: Action/Rite
• kṛtiḥ: Karma (Object in Passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• eṣā: This
• eṣā: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• janārdana: O Janardana (Krishna)
• janārdana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (Sambodhana/सम्बोधन), Singular

Speaker

Garuda (Tārkṣya / Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual correctness (vidhi) in udakumbha-dāna for the departed, especially connected to fasting-death destinies.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as purifier and support for subtle journey; śraddhā and niyama as instruments of dharma.

Application: When performing rites for the deceased, seek proper procedure, qualified guidance, and sincere intention rather than improvisation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: dialogue setting (teacher-disciple)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.37 (this chapter): udakumbha-dāna procedure and preta-tṛpti (immediate internal context)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tārkṣya)
• Janārdana (Lord Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the importance of udakumbha-pradāna in the Garuda Purana?

In this verse Garuda specifically asks for the correct procedure of donating a water-pot, indicating it is treated as a formal, rule-governed rite connected to post-death observances and proper ritual support.

How does this verse frame the discussion on the soul’s journey after death?

It introduces a technical inquiry within the Garuda–Vishnu dialogue: the chapter concerns the ‘gati’ (post-death destiny) of one who dies by fasting, and it immediately turns to ritual means (udakumbha-dāna) that accompany death rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat death-related rites as intentional and properly guided practices—seek accurate instructions from tradition/teachers rather than performing symbolic acts casually, especially for donations and śrāddha-related observances.