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Shloka 32

Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes

Devanagari script

क्षीरैः प्रक्षाल्य तस्यास्थि स्वाग्निना मन्त्रतो दहेत् / प्रवासे तु मृते भूयः कृत्वा कुशमयं दहेत्

Transliteration

kṣīraiḥ prakṣālya tasyāsthi svāgninā mantrato dahet / pravāse tu mṛte bhūyaḥ kṛtvā kuśamayaṃ dahet

Translation

用牛奶清洗那人的骨头后，应一边念诵咒语，一边在自己的圣火中再次火化。但如果那人是在离家在外时去世的，则应再次用吉祥草（Kuśa）制作一个假人像，并将其焚化。

Word by Word
क्षीरैःwith milk
क्षीरैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (by/with milks)
प्रक्षाल्यhaving washed
प्रक्षाल्य:
Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + क्षल् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having washed’
तस्यof him/of that
तस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (of him/of that)
अस्थिbone
अस्थि:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (object)
स्वाग्निनाwith one’s own fire
स्वाग्निना:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य अग्निः)
मन्त्रतःwith mantras / as per mantra
मन्त्रतः:
Kriya (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), ‘by/according to mantra’ (ablatival adverb)
दहेत्should burn
दहेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootदह् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘should burn’
प्रवासेin travel / on a journey
प्रवासे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रवास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular (in/while on a journey)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात), विरोध/विशेषार्थक — ‘but/indeed’
मृतेwhen (someone) has died
मृते:
Kriya (Circumstantial/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeVerb
Rootमृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक — Locative absolute sense ‘when (he) has died’
भूयःagain
भूयः:
Kriya (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootभूयस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘again/further’
कृत्वाhaving made
कृत्वा:
Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having made/done’
कुशमयम्made of kuśa grass
कुशमयम्:
Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootकुश + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; समासः तत्पुरुष (कुशैः मयम् = made of kuśa)
दहेत्should burn
दहेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootदह् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘should burn’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Preta (recently deceased)

Timing: Post-cremation corrective rite; especially when death occurred away (pravāsa) and rites must be completed upon return/recovery.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Antyeṣṭi must be ritually completed; mantra and consecrated fire restore order when circumstances are irregular (death in travel).

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as purifier of saṃskāra and subtle destiny; ritual as support for the jīva’s onward course.

Application: If bones are recovered, wash with milk and perform re-cremation with mantras in the household sacred fire; if death occurred away, perform symbolic cremation using a kuśa effigy to complete rites.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: household ritual space / liminal travel-context

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Preta/Antyeṣṭi sections on re-cremation, asthi-saṃskāra, and travel-death contingencies (pravāsa-mṛtyu)

FAQs

This verse presents milk-washing as a purificatory step before performing a mantra-guided re-cremation, emphasizing ritual cleanliness and correct completion of antyeṣṭi-related duties.

It prescribes a substitute rite: creating a kuśa-grass effigy and burning it again, allowing the family to ritually complete cremation obligations even when the body or proper circumstances are unavailable.

It highlights completing essential last rites with sincerity and scriptural procedure—especially when circumstances are difficult—by using accepted symbolic methods under guidance of tradition.

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