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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 102

Dāna as Prāyaścitta; Deathbed Gifts; Antyeṣṭi Procedures; Nārāyaṇa-bali for Untimely Deaths

Devanagari script

गरुड उवाच / प्रोषिते तु मृते स्वामिन्यस्थ्निनाशमुपेयुषि / कथं दाहः प्रकर्तव्यस्तन्मे वद जगत्पते

Transliteration

garuḍa uvāca / proṣite tu mṛte svāminyasthnināśamupeyuṣi / kathaṃ dāhaḥ prakartavyastanme vada jagatpate

Translation

迦楼罗说道：“当丈夫远行在外，而家主之妻已亡，遗体已至腐坏消散之状时，应当如何举行火葬之仪？愿宇宙之主为我开示。”

Word by Word
गरुडःGaruḍa
गरुडः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
प्रोषितेwhen (she) is away
प्रोषिते:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रोषित (कृदन्त; प्र+वस्/उष्-आदेश, भूतकृत्)
Formसप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (स्त्रीलिङ्गे/स्वामिनि-सम्बन्धे) ‘प्रोषिते (सति)’ = when (she) is away
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक
मृतेwhen (she) is dead
मृते:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त; मृ (धातु) क्त)
Formसप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (स्त्रीलिङ्गे) ‘मृते (सति)’ = when (she) has died
स्वामिनिin/with the mistress (wife)
स्वामिनि:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन
अस्थ्निin the bone(s)
अस्थ्नि:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (वेदिक/प्राचीन-रूप: अस्थ्नि)
नाशम्destruction
नाशम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
उपेयुषिhaving reached/undergone
उपेयुषि:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootउप-इ (धातु) ; उपेयुष् (कृदन्त; लिट्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘उपेयिवस्’/‘उपेयुष्’)
Formसप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (स्त्रीलिङ्गे) ‘उपेयुषि (सति)’ = when (she) has reached/undergone
कथम्how?
कथम्:
Prashna (Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)
दाहःcremation/burning
दाहः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदाह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
प्रकर्तव्यःshould be performed
प्रकर्तव्यः:
Vidhana (Obligation)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र-कृ (धातु) ; कर्तव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective): ‘to be done’
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
मेto me/for me
मे:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (Genitive/Dative singular enclitic)
वदtell
वद:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन
जगत्पतेO lord of the world
जगत्पते:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootजगत् + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: जगतः पति
Speaker

Garuḍa (Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Mata (wife)

Timing: Immediately after death/at the time of antyeṣṭi (implied)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even in irregular circumstances (spouse absent; body decayed), rites must be performed according to śāstra to secure proper gati for the deceased and purity for the living.

Vedantic Theme: Karma and saṁskāra as regulators of post-mortem transition; dharma sustains cosmic order (ṛta).

Application: When a death occurs in abnormal conditions, seek qualified guidance and perform substitute procedures rather than abandoning rites.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: household/cremation-ground (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Preta-kalpa/Antyeṣṭi sections on missing body/bones and substitute śrāddha; Garuda Purana passages on apamṛtyu (untimely death) and remedial rites

Characters & Entities
G
Garuḍa
V
Vishnu

FAQs

This verse frames a practical dharma question about how antyeṣṭi (cremation) should be carried out under difficult circumstances, showing the text’s role as a ritual-and-ethics guide for death rites.

By asking how cremation should be performed, Garuḍa points to the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching that proper funerary rites support the departed’s transition into the post-death state (preta condition) and onward journey.

It encourages families to seek correct procedure and qualified guidance for funeral rites even when key relatives are absent, emphasizing responsibility, timeliness, and dharmic care for the deceased.

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