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Shloka 51

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

दूराच्छ्रवणविज्ञाना दूराद्दर्शनगोचराः / एवञ्चेष्टास्तु ते ह्यष्टौ स्वर्भूपातालचारिणः

Transliteration

dūrācchravaṇavijñānā dūrāddarśanagocarāḥ / evañceṣṭāstu te hyaṣṭau svarbhūpātālacāriṇaḥ

Translation

إنهم يدركون الأصوات ويعرفونها ولو من بعيد، ويقعون في مدى البصر وإن كانوا على مسافة. وتلك حقًّا ثمانية أوجهٍ من فعلهم—يسيرون في السماء والأرض و«باتالا» عالمِ ما تحت الأرض.

Word by Word
दूरात्from afar
दूरात्:
Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverbial indeclinable; अर्थे: दूरदेशात् (from afar)
श्रवण-विज्ञानाःknowing by hearing
श्रवण-विज्ञानाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रवण (प्रातिपदिक) + विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्रवणस्य विज्ञानम्) = ‘having knowledge of hearing’
दूरात्from afar
दूरात्:
Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverbial indeclinable; अर्थे: दूरदेशात्
दर्शन-गोचराःvisible (within sight-range)
दर्शन-गोचराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दर्शनस्य गोचरः) = ‘within the range of sight’
एवम्thus
एवम्:
Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb ‘thus/so’
चेष्टाःactivities/movements
चेष्टाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
तुindeed/but
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात) = particle ‘but/indeed’
तेthey
ते:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात) = emphatic particle ‘indeed/for’
अष्टौeight
अष्टौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)
स्वः-भू-पाताल-चारिणःmoving in heaven, earth, and the netherworld
स्वः-भू-पाताल-चारिणः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वः (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पाताल (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्वः+भू+पाताल) ततः तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्भूपातालेषु चारिणः) = ‘moving in heaven, earth, and underworld’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic administration operates through empowered agents with siddhi-like capacities, enabling oversight across the three worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-adhīnatva: extraordinary powers function as instruments within divine order, not as independent ultimate reality.

Application: Cultivate ethical restraint knowing actions are not hidden; align conduct with dharma even when unobserved by humans.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.16 (context: description of powerful beings/agents and their modes of movement); Garuda Purana 2.17 (transition to how deeds are known in Yama’s realm)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
P
Pretas

FAQs

This verse highlights the non-physical, far-reaching perception and mobility attributed to beings in the post-death (preta) condition, clarifying that the journey after death involves a subtle mode of experience beyond ordinary bodily limits.

By stating that they roam through heaven, earth, and the underworld and perceive from afar, the verse frames the post-mortem state as a transitional, subtle journey where experience is not restricted to one location or a gross body.

It encourages mindful living and timely performance of death-related rites (as taught in the Preta Kanda), since the departed is portrayed as consciously experiencing a subtle journey influenced by dharma and supportive rituals.

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