Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 10

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

पतिव्रतां साधुशीलामूढां धर्मेषु निश्चलाम् / परित्यजन्ति ये मूढास्तेषां वासस्तु सन्ततम्

Transliteration

pativratāṃ sādhuśīlāmūḍhāṃ dharmeṣu niścalām / parityajanti ye mūḍhāsteṣāṃ vāsastu santatam

Translation

الحمقى الذين يهجرون زوجةً عفيفةً مخلصةً لنذرها (pativratā)، حسنة السيرة، بسيطة القلب، ثابتة في الدارما—مآلهم أن يقيموا في الشقاء على الدوام.

Word by Word

• पतिव्रताम्: a devoted wife (faithful to her husband)
• पतिव्रताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतिव्रता (प्रातिपदिक) [पति+व्रता]
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• साधु-शीलाम्: of good conduct/character
• साधु-शीलाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधुशील (प्रातिपदिक) [साधु+शील]
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; adjective qualifying पतिव्रताम्

• मूढाम्: simple/naive (foolish)
• मूढाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; adjective qualifying पतिव्रताम्

• धर्मेषु: in matters of dharma
• धर्मेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) बहुवचन

• निश्चलाम्: steadfast
• निश्चलाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; adjective qualifying पतिव्रताम्

• परित्यजन्ति: abandon
• परित्यजन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; relative pronoun

• मूढाः: foolish
• मूढाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; adjective qualifying ये

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) बहुवचन

• वासः: dwelling / abode
• वासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle

• सन्ततम्: continually
• सन्ततम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सन्तत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (accusative used adverbially); नित्यं-अर्थ

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Abandoning a pativrata, sadhu-shila wife devoted to dharma is adharma with enduring karmic suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as purifier of mind (chitta-shuddhi); betrayal strengthens tamas and binds one to painful karmaphala.

Application: Honor commitments; protect and respect a righteous spouse; resolve marital conflict ethically; avoid exploitation and abandonment.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: household dharma and sins leading to naraka; Garuda Purana: condemnations of betrayal and cruelty toward dependents

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of marital dharma in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats abandoning a virtuous, dharma-steady wife as a serious moral failure, implying lasting suffering as its consequence; it reinforces gṛhastha-dharma as spiritually consequential.

How does this verse connect actions to afterlife consequences in the Preta Kanda?

By stating that such men have a “continuous dwelling” in misery, the verse links betrayal/dereliction of duty to prolonged post-death suffering, a recurring Preta Kanda theme of karma yielding specific results.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Honor commitments, protect and respect a partner of good conduct, and act steadily in dharma; personal relationships are treated as ethical duties with long-term karmic impact.