Shloka 14

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

एकादशाहे राजेन्द्र यस्य नोत्सूज्यते वृषः / प्रेतत्वं निश्चलं तस्य कृतैः श्राद्धैस्तु किं भवेत्

Transliteration

ekādaśāhe rājendra yasya notsūjyate vṛṣaḥ / pretatvaṃ niścalaṃ tasya kṛtaiḥ śrāddhaistu kiṃ bhavet

Translation

اے راجندر! جس کے لیے گیارھویں دن مقررہ رسم کے مطابق وِرش (جنازہ کا بیل) نہیں چھوڑا جاتا، اس کا پریت پن ثابت ہو جاتا ہے؛ پھر کیے ہوئے شرادھ سے کیا فائدہ؟

Word by Word

• एकादश-अहे: on the eleventh day
• एकादश-अहे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादश (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अहन्), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (एकादशानां अहः)

• राजेन्द्र: O king
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘king who is like Indra’)

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• उत्सूज्यते: is released/let loose
• उत्सूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• वृषः: the bull
• वृषः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रेतत्वम्: the state of being a preta
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निश्चलम्: fixed/unchanging
• निश्चलम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘pretatvam’)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कृतैः: performed
• कृतैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘performed’ (agreeing with श्राद्धैः)

• श्राद्धैः: by śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/contrast)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma/Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• भवेत्: would happen/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra, addressing the listener as 'rājendra')

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Ekādaśāha (11th day)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Timely performance of prescribed antyeṣṭi-associated rites determines the preta’s transition; omission causes lasting obstruction.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual duty (nitya/naimittika karma) as maintaining cosmic and familial order; neglect produces binding consequences.

Application: Do not postpone critical end-of-life and post-death rites; ensure competent officiation and family coordination within prescribed time windows.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: ritual setting (funeral/antyeṣṭi context)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: preta-lakṣaṇa and preta-gati passages emphasizing day-count milestones (10th/11th/12th/13th); Garuda Purana: vृषोत्सर्ग/vṛṣa-yajña sections as essential for preta-release

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Shraddha
• Vṛṣa (Vṛṣotsarga)

FAQs

What is the importance of the eleventh-day rite (ekādaśāha) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats the eleventh day as a decisive milestone: neglecting the prescribed act of releasing the ritual bull (vṛṣotsarga) is said to make the preta-condition “fixed,” implying the rites meant to aid transition are hindered.

How does this verse explain the soul’s condition after death (preta-state)?

It portrays the preta-state as an unsettled post-death condition that can become “niścala” (stabilized/locked) if key transitional rites are omitted, emphasizing ritual completeness for the departed’s onward journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Ensure last rites are performed carefully and on time—especially the eleventh-day observances—by consulting competent priests/traditions, and support the bereaved with disciplined, dharmic follow-through rather than doing rites irregularly or casually.