Home›Garuda Purana›Preta Kalpa›Adhyaya 5›Shloka 41
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shloka 41

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

अकृत्वा यद्वृषोत्सर्गं कृतं वै पिण्डपातनम् / निष्फलं सकलं विद्यात्प्रमीताय न तद्भवेत्

Transliteration

akṛtvā yadvṛṣotsargaṃ kṛtaṃ vai piṇḍapātanam / niṣphalaṃ sakalaṃ vidyātpramītāya na tadbhavet

Translation

وِرشوتسرگ کیے بغیر اگر پِنڈ دان (پِنڈپاتن) کیا جائے تو جان لو کہ وہ سب بے پھل ہے؛ اس سے مرحوم کو حقیقی فائدہ نہیں پہنچتا۔

Word by Word
अकृत्वाwithout having done
अकृत्वा:
Kriya (Gerundial/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formनञ्-पूर्वक-क्त्वान्त (negative absolutive), अव्यय-भावः; 'without doing'
यत्which
यत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोगः (relative)
वृषोत्सर्गम्the bull-release (rite)
वृषोत्सर्गम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवृष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य उत्सर्गः)
कृतम्done/performed
कृतम्:
Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicative with 'पिण्डपातनम्'
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; निश्चयार्थक
पिण्डपातनम्offering/placing of piṇḍas
पिण्डपातनम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + पातन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य पातनम्)
निष्फलम्fruitless
निष्फलम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिष्फल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः
सकलम्entire, wholly
सकलम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसकल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः
विद्यात्one should know/understand
विद्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootविद् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
प्रमीतायfor the deceased
प्रमीताय:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रमीत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used as noun: 'to the deceased')
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
तत्that
तत्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
भवेत्would be/become
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Within the post-death rite sequence; piṇḍa-pātana contingent on prior vṛṣotsarga.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prerequisites matter: performing piṇḍa offerings without vṛṣotsarga renders the act ‘niṣphala’ (fruitless) for the deceased.

Vedantic Theme: Karma requires proper vidhi (method) and aṅga (auxiliary limbs); incomplete karma fails to deliver intended phala, underscoring discipline and humility before śāstra.

Application: Ensure prerequisite rites are completed before proceeding to dependent steps; in ritual or any duty, validate dependencies to avoid wasted effort.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.5.39-40 (vṛṣotsarga on ekādaśāha; preta-state consequences)

Characters & Entities
P
Pitris

FAQs

This verse states that vṛṣotsarga is treated as a prerequisite rite; without it, piṇḍa offerings are considered ineffective for benefiting the deceased.

By emphasizing which rites actually ‘reach’ or benefit the departed, the verse implies that correct dharmic procedure governs post-death support to the preta through prescribed offerings.

If performing śrāddha or funeral rites, follow the tradition’s prescribed sequence and consult competent priests/lineage manuals so that intended offerings are not rendered ritually ineffective.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→