Home›Garuda Purana›Preta Kalpa›Adhyaya 4›Shloka 16
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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

लवणं च तदा देयं द्वारस्योद्वाटनं दिवः / यानिकानि च दानानि स्वयं दत्तानि मानवैः

Transliteration

lavaṇaṃ ca tadā deyaṃ dvārasyodvāṭanaṃ divaḥ / yānikāni ca dānāni svayaṃ dattāni mānavaiḥ

Translation

于彼时，确当施与盐；它宛如开启天界之门。并且，人们亲手所施的一切布施——那些供施亦皆成为有益之功德。

Word by Word
लवणम्salt
लवणम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootलवण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
तदाthen, at that time
तदा:
Kala (Time/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)
देयम्should be given
देयम्:
Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootदा (धातु)
Formतव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be given’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय
द्वारस्यof the door/gate
द्वारस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootद्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन
उद्वाटनम्opening, unbolting
उद्वाटनम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootउद् + वट् (धातु)
Formल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-नाम (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन
दिवःof heaven; of the day/sky
दिवः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootदिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी (6), एकवचन
यानिकानिwhatever (those which)
यानिकानि:
Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootयत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-विशेषण (दानानि)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
दानानिgifts, donations
दानानि:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन
स्वयम्personally, oneself
स्वयम्:
Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वयम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb) ‘oneself’
दत्तानिgiven
दत्तानि:
Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootदा (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; (दानानि) इत्यस्य विशेषण
मानवैःby humans
मानवैः:
Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमानव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Timely lavaṇa-dāna is highly efficacious; personally offered gifts (svayaṃ-datta) accrue strong merit and become beneficial.

Vedantic Theme: Intentionality (saṅkalpa) and agency in karma: direct, unmediated giving strengthens puṇya; symbolic ‘svarga-dvāra’ expresses karmic ascent.

Application: In critical moments (especially near death), perform simple, direct charity; prioritize personally delivered giving and sincerity over complexity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: threshold/gate

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: continuation of lavaṇa-dāna praise and its fruits (contextual); Garuda Purana: svarga/naraka result mapping to specific acts (contextual)

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda
D
Diva (Svarga/Heaven)

FAQs

This verse states that giving salt at the prescribed time functions like “opening the gate of heaven,” meaning it is regarded as a powerful, merit-producing dāna that supports auspicious passage and wellbeing in the afterlife context.

It links specific gifts—especially salt—and all sincerely self-offered donations to spiritual benefit, implying that dāna becomes supportive merit (puṇya) that assists the departed toward higher states symbolized here as Svarga.

Practice intentional charity—particularly simple, essential items like food staples—given personally and ethically, and when performing śrāddha/funeral-related observances, include prescribed dānas with sincerity rather than mere formality.

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