Home›Garuda Purana›Preta Kalpa›Adhyaya 4›Shloka 63
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 63

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

Devanagari script

पुष्पाक्षतैश्च संपूज्य देवं क्रव्यादसंज्ञकम् / श्रौतेन तु विधानेन ह्याहिताग्निं दहेद्वुधः

Transliteration

puṣpākṣataiśca saṃpūjya devaṃ kravyādasaṃjñakam / śrautena tu vidhānena hyāhitāgniṃ dahedvudhaḥ

Translation

以花与阿克沙塔（不碎之米粒）如法供奉名为“克拉维亚达”（Kravyāda）的神祇；随后，智者当依《吠陀》之施罗陀（śrauta）仪轨，火葬那位奉持圣火之人（āhitāgni）。

Word by Word
पुष्पाक्षतैःwith flowers and unbroken rice grains
पुष्पाक्षतैः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वन्द्व-समास (copulative): पुष्पाणि च अक्षतानि च; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहारद्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन
चand
च:
Sambandha (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
संपूज्यhaving duly worshipped
संपूज्य:
Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + पूज् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: पूज्, उपसर्ग: सम्; अर्थ: सम्यक् पूजनं कृत्वा
देवम्the deity
देवम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
क्रव्यादसंज्ञकम्named ‘Kravyāda’
क्रव्यादसंज्ञकम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्रव्याद (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास: क्रव्याद-इति-संज्ञक (named ‘kravyāda’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘देवम्’
श्रौतेनby the Vedic (śrauta)
श्रौतेन:
Karana (करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रौत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘विधानेन’
तुindeed
तु:
Sambandha (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (but/indeed)
विधानेनby the prescribed procedure
विधानेन:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootविधान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन
हिcertainly
हि:
Sambandha (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक निपात (certainly/for)
आहिताग्निम्one who has established the sacred fire (āhitāgni)
आहिताग्निम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootआहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास: आहितः अग्निः यस्य सः (one who has established the sacred fire); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
दहेत्should burn/cremate
दहेत्:
Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootदह् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
बुधःa wise person
बुधः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Preta (deceased āhitāgni)

Timing: antyeṣṭi (cremation proper)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: For one who maintained sacred fires (āhitāgni), last rites should align with śrauta procedure; ritual status shapes ritual obligation

Vedantic Theme: Karma and saṃskāra as orderly discharge of duties (ṛṇa-traya) before higher pursuit

Application: Match funerary rites to the deceased’s vows/ritual commitments; perform offerings with reverence (flowers, akṣata) and procedural correctness

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: cremation ground (antyeṣṭi-vedi)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.4.65 on kravyāda worship and body-offering; Garuda Purana 2.4.62 on vedi and agni establishment

Characters & Entities
K
Kravyāda
A
Agni
Ā
Āhitāgni

FAQs

This verse indicates that honoring Kravyāda—an aspect of the funerary fire—ritually sanctifies the cremation, aligning the act with Vedic order before the body is consigned to fire.

It specifies that an āhitāgni (one who maintained sacred fires) should be cremated strictly by śrauta injunctions, implying a more formally Vedic procedure than ordinary rites.

Perform last rites with reverence and scriptural guidance—using simple offerings like flowers and akṣata—and, where applicable, follow the appropriate Vedic tradition for the deceased’s life-stage and vows.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→