The Gift of Water-Pots in Shraddha

Verse 1 (garuda.2.37.1)

तार्क्ष्य उवाच । उदकुम्भप्रदानं मे कथयस्व यथातथम् । विधिना केन कर्तव्या कृतिरेषा जनार्दन

tārkṣya uvāca udakumbhapradānaṁ me kathayasva yathātatham vidhinā kena kartavyā kṛtireṣā janārdana

Tarkshya said: "Tell me truly, O Janardana, of the gift of water-pots. By what procedure should this rite be performed?"

Verse 2 (garuda.2.37.2)

किंलक्षणाः केन पूर्णाः कस्य देया जनार्दन । कस्मिन् काले प्रदातव्या प्रेततृप्तिप्रसाधकाः

kiṁlakṣaṇāḥ kena pūrṇāḥ kasya deyā janārdana kasmin kāle pradātavyā pretatṛptiprasādhakāḥ

"O Janardana, what are their characteristics, with what should they be filled, and to whom given? At what time should these, which bring the preta full satisfaction, be given?"

Verse 3 (garuda.2.37.3)

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । सत्यं पुनः प्रवक्ष्यामि उदकुम्भप्रदानकम् । प्रेतोद्देशेन दातव्या अन्नपानीयसंयुताः । विशेषेण महापक्षिन् प्रेतमुक्तिप्रदायकाः

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca satyaṁ punaḥ pravakṣyāmi udakumbhapradānakam pretoddeśena dātavyā annapānīyasaṁyutāḥ viśeṣeṇa mahāpakṣin pretamuktipradāyakāḥ

Shri Krishna said: "I shall tell you truly again of the gift of water-pots. They should be given, dedicated to the preta, filled with food and drink; O great bird, they especially grant the preta liberation."

Verse 4 (garuda.2.37.4)

द्वादशाहे च पण्मासे त्रैपक्षे वापि वत्सरे । उदकुम्भाः प्रदातव्या मार्गे तस्य सुखाय वै

dvādaśāhe ca paṇmāse traipakṣe vāpi vatsare udakumbhāḥ pradātavyā mārge tasya sukhāya vai

"On the twelfth day, in the sixth month, in the three-fortnight period, or in the year, water-pots should be given for his comfort along the road."

Verse 5 (garuda.2.37.5)

अहन्यहनि दातव्या उदकुम्भास्तिलैर्युताः । सुलिप्ते भूमिभागे तु पक्कान्नजलपूरिताः

ahanyahani dātavyā udakumbhāstilairyutāḥ sulipte bhūmibhāge tu pakkānnajalapūritāḥ

"Every day, water-pots joined with sesame should be given, upon ground well plastered, filled with cooked food and water."

Verse 6 (garuda.2.37.6)

प्रेतस्य तत्र दातव्यं भाजनञ्च यदृच्छया । सुप्रीतस्तेन दत्तेन प्रेतो याम्यैः स गच्छति

pretasya tatra dātavyaṁ bhājanañca yadṛcchayā suprītastena dattena preto yāmyaiḥ sa gacchati

"There, a vessel should be given for the preta as one wishes; pleased by that gift, the preta travels comfortably among the servants of Yama."

Verse 7 (garuda.2.37.7)

द्वादशाहे विशेषेण उदकम्भान् प्रदापयेत् । विधिना तत्र सङ्कल्पय घटान् द्वादशसंख्यकान्

dvādaśāhe viśeṣeṇa udakambhān pradāpayet vidhinā tatra saṅkalpaya ghaṭān dvādaśasaṁkhyakān

"On the twelfth day especially, water-pots should be given; there, with due procedure, one should resolve upon twelve pots."

Verse 8 (garuda.2.37.8)

एकाषि बर्धनी तत्र पक्वान्नफलपूरिता । विष्णुमुद्दिश्य दातव्या संकल्प्य ब्राह्मणे शुभे

ekāṣi bardhanī tatra pakvānnaphalapūritā viṣṇumuddiśya dātavyā saṁkalpya brāhmaṇe śubhe

"Among them, one larger vessel filled with cooked food and fruit, dedicated with resolve to Vishnu, should be given to a worthy brahmin."

Verse 9 (garuda.2.37.9)

एको वै धर्मराजाय तेन तुष्टेन मुक्तिभाक् । चित्रगुप्ताय चैकं तु गतस्तत्र सुखी भवेत्

eko vai dharmarājāya tena tuṣṭena muktibhāk citraguptāya caikaṁ tu gatastatra sukhī bhavet

"One is for the King of Dharma, pleased by which he shares in liberation; one for Chitragupta, by which, going there, he becomes happy."

Verse 10 (garuda.2.37.10)

षोडशाद्याः प्रदातव्या माषान्नजलपूरिताः

ṣoḍaśādyāḥ pradātavyā māṣānnajalapūritāḥ

"Sixteen further pots should be given, filled with black-gram porridge and water."

Verse 11 (garuda.2.37.11)

उक्त्रान्तिश्राद्धमारभ्य श्राद्धषोडषोडशकस्य तु । षोडशब्राह्मणानान्तु एकैकं विनिवदयेत्

uktrāntiśrāddhamārabhya śrāddhaṣoḍaṣoḍaśakasya tu ṣoḍaśabrāhmaṇānāntu ekaikaṁ vinivadayet

"Beginning with the ukranti-shraddha and continuing through the sixteen shraddhas, one each should be presented to sixteen brahmins."

Verse 12 (garuda.2.37.12)

एकादशाहात्प्रभृति देयो नित्यं दृढाह्वयः । पक्वान्नजलपूर्णो हि यावत्संवत्सरं दिनम्

ekādaśāhātprabhṛti deyo nityaṁ dṛḍhāhvayaḥ pakvānnajalapūrṇo hi yāvatsaṁvatsaraṁ dinam

"Beginning from the eleventh day, a firmly-established daily gift, filled with cooked food and water, should be given every day for a whole year."

Verse 13 (garuda.2.37.13)

जलपात्राणि वृद्धानि दत्तानिघटकानि च । एका वै वर्धनी तत्र तस्यां पात्रन्तु वंशजम्

jalapātrāṇi vṛddhāni dattānighaṭakāni ca ekā vai vardhanī tatra tasyāṁ pātrantu vaṁśajam

"Large water-vessels and pots should be given; among them, one larger vessel should be made of bamboo-ware."

Verse 14 (garuda.2.37.14)

वस्त्रेणाच्छादयेत्तान्तु पूजयित्वा सुगन्धिभिः । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषेण जलपूर्णानि दापयेत्

vastreṇācchādayettāntu pūjayitvā sugandhibhiḥ brāhmaṇebhyo viśeṣeṇa jalapūrṇāni dāpayet

"These should be covered with cloth and worshipped with fragrant substances; vessels filled with water should be given especially to brahmins."

Verse 15 (garuda.2.37.15)

अहन्यहनि सङ्कल्प्य विधिपूर्वं खगेश्वर । ब्राह्मणाय कुलीनाय वेदवृत्तयुताय च

ahanyahani saṅkalpya vidhipūrvaṁ khageśvara brāhmaṇāya kulīnāya vedavṛttayutāya ca

"O lord of birds, resolving each day according to rule, it should be given to a well-born brahmin endowed with Vedic conduct,"

Verse 16 (garuda.2.37.16)

विद्यावृत्तवते देयं मूर्खे तन्न कदाचन । समर्थो वेदवृत्ताढ्यस्तारणे तरणेऽपि च

vidyāvṛttavate deyaṁ mūrkhe tanna kadācana samartho vedavṛttāḍhyastāraṇe taraṇe'pi ca

"one endowed with learning and good conduct, and never to a fool. Only a capable brahmin, rich in Vedic conduct, is fit both to carry another across and to cross over himself."