The Pind Daan of the First Ten Days

Garud asked: Lord, why is pind daan offered after a death? The Lord said: Garud, the subtle being has no body for the long journey ahead. From the pind the family offers, a new subtle body is slowly formed for it.

According to the Puran, the pind of the first day forms the head; the second day, the neck and shoulders; the third day, the heart; the fourth day, the back; and the fifth day, the navel. The sixth and seventh days form the waist and lower body, the eighth day the thighs, and the ninth day the knees and feet.

On the tenth day, when the body is complete, the being feels strong hunger and thirst. The pind of that day calms them. That is why the tenth day is considered special, and many families perform the dashgatra rite on that day.

A pind is made of rice or barley flour, sesame, ghee and water. But the Puran says again and again that what truly matters is faith. When a family offers pind with love and feeling, it reaches the departed, however simple it may be.

Today these rites are done differently in different regions and families: ten days in some places, twelve or thirteen in others. Follow the tradition of your family elders and your priest. The heart of the Garud Puran is only this: do not leave the departed alone; walk with them on their journey.