Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 11

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

जन्मन्येकोदकानान्तुत्रिरात्राच्छुद्धिरिष्यते / शावस्य शेषाच्छुध्यन्ति त्र्यहादुदकदायिनः

Transliteration

janmanyekodakānāntutrirātrācchuddhiriṣyate / śāvasya śeṣācchudhyanti tryahādudakadāyinaḥ

Translation

پیدائش کے معاملے میں ایکودک (ایک ہی پانی/ایک ہی گھر کے کھانے کے ربط) والوں کی طہارت تین راتوں کے بعد مانی گئی ہے؛ اور شاوَ کے بقیہ اثر سے پانی دینے والے بھی تین دن میں پاک ہو جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• जन्मनि: in (case of) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• एकोदकानाम्: of ekodaka relatives
• एकोदकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकोदक (प्रातिपदिक) < एक + उदक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘those sharing one water’ (a kin-category)

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

• त्रिरात्रात्: after three nights
• त्रिरात्रात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिरात्र (प्रातिपदिक) < त्रि + रात्रि
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान—‘after/from three nights’

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इष्यते: is accepted
• इष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग—‘is considered/accepted’

• शावस्य: of death-impurity
• शावस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• शेषात्: from the remainder/after the rest
• शेषात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• शुध्यन्ति: become purified
• शुध्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्र्यहात्: after three days
• त्र्यहात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यह (प्रातिपदिक) < त्रि + अहन्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• उदकदायिनः: those who offer water (rites)
• उदकदायिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदकदायिन् (प्रातिपदिक) < उदक + दायिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक—‘water-givers’ (those who offer water rites)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Three nights for ekodaka group after birth; three days for udaka-offerers from remaining corpse-related impurity

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Purification periods vary by relational/ritual proximity: ekodakāna after birth—three nights; udakadāyins after corpse-related remainder—three days.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma operates through gradation (tāratamya) and context-sensitive duty; precision prevents pratyavāya (ritual fault).

Application: Identify whether one is ekodaka (same household/commensal) or an udaka-offerer; observe the three-night/three-day purification before resuming restricted acts.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: household/commensal unit (ekodaka) and water-offering circle (udakadāyin)

Cross References

Related Themes: 2.5.10 on sapinda daśāha; Garuda Purana śrāddha passages on udaka (tarpana) and eligibility during impurity (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of the three-day (trirātra/tryaha) rule in Garuda Purana?

This verse sets a standard purification window: three nights after a birth for the ekodaka household, and three days for those engaged in water-offerings connected to a death, framing aśauca as time-bound and ritually resolvable.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s teachings on death rites?

It links corpse-related impurity (śāva-aśauca) with the duty of udaka-dāna, stating that the performers of these water rites return to ritual purity after three days, reinforcing the structured progression of post-death observances.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe a defined period of restraint and cleanliness after birth or death events, and complete the prescribed water-offerings and related duties; the verse emphasizes disciplined closure rather than indefinite impurity.