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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 32

Determining Rites for Difficult/Inauspicious Deaths; Annual and Daily Śrāddha Rules

Devanagari script

मातृश्राद्धे तु विप्राणामभावे सुकुलोद्गताः / पतिपुत्रान्विताः साध्व्यो योषितो ऽष्टौ च भावयेत्

Transliteration

mātṛśrāddhe tu viprāṇāmabhāve sukulodgatāḥ / patiputrānvitāḥ sādhvyo yoṣito 'ṣṭau ca bhāvayet

Translation

在为母亲举行的施罗陀（Śrāddha）中，若无婆罗门可请，应改请八位出身良族、品行端正、与夫同居且有儿子的妇女，作为仪式的适当代表。

Word by Word
मातृश्राद्धेin the mother’s śrāddha
मातृश्राद्धे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ-श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; मातृ + श्राद्ध)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मातुः श्राद्धे)
तुhowever/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle)
विप्राणाम्of brāhmaṇas
विप्राणाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन
अभावेin (their) absence
अभावे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कारण/स्थितिवाचक (in the absence)
सुकुलोद्गताः(those) sprung from good families
सुकुलोद्गताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसु-कुल-उद्गत (प्रातिपदिक; सु + कुल + उद्गत)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘उद्गत’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) धातु: उद्+गम्; विशेषण (well-born/come from good family)
पतिhusband
पति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootपति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)
पुत्रson
पुत्र:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)
अन्विताःaccompanied by/endowed with
अन्विताः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; √इ (धातु) + अनु- + क्त)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘endowed/associated with’
साध्व्यःvirtuous women
साध्व्यः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसाध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन
योषितःwomen
योषितः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयोषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन
अष्टौeight
अष्टौ:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (numeral adjective)
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक (and)
भावयेत्should appoint/consider (as substitutes)
भावयेत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘to cause to be/appoint/consider’ (भावयति)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vainateya)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Mata

Timing: Mātṛ-śrāddha occasion (as prescribed in śrāddha calendar/necessity)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Apaddharma-like accommodation: when qualified brāhmaṇas are unavailable, the rite may proceed with specified virtuous women as representatives.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as niyama (ordered action) sustaining ṛta/dharma; intention and prescribed procedure preserve efficacy.

Application: If proper officiants are unavailable, follow authorized substitutions rather than abandoning ancestral rites; prioritize eligibility, purity, and prescribed number/qualities.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household/ritual space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.45 (Śrāddha-vidhi context: eligibility, substitutes, procedure)

Characters & Entities
B
Brāhmaṇas
M
Mother (Mātṛ)
S
Sādhvī women

FAQs

This verse treats the mother’s śrāddha as a distinct, duty-bound rite and clarifies how it should still be performed even under practical constraints, preserving dharma and continuity of ancestral offerings.

It explicitly provides a substitution: eight respectable, virtuous women of good lineage, described as living with husband and having sons, may be engaged as appropriate participants/recipients for the mother’s śrāddha.

If ideal ritual conditions are not possible, the verse emphasizes completing the duty with qualified, ethical substitutes rather than abandoning the rite—prioritizing sincerity, propriety, and continuity of remembrance.

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