Shloka 4

Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence

Devanagari script

वैखानसमुनिव्रातैः प्राणिपातकृतेक्षणः / स कदाचित् तीर्थयात्रामुद्दिश्य स्माटतिद्विजः

Transliteration

vaikhānasamunivrātaiḥ prāṇipātakṛtekṣaṇaḥ / sa kadācit tīrthayātrāmuddiśya smāṭatidvijaḥ

Translation

وقد راقبه جمعٌ من حكماء الفايخاناَسا بسبب إثم قتل الكائنات الحيّة؛ فذلك الثنائيّ الميلاد خرجَ يومًا قاصدًا القيامَ بحجٍّ إلى التيـرثات المقدّسة.

Word by Word

• वैखानस-मुनि-व्रातैः: by the groups of Vaikhānasa sages
• वैखानस-मुनि-व्रातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैखानस (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—वैखानसानां मुनीनां व्रातैः (instrumental: by the group of Vaikhānasa sages)

• प्राणि-पात-कृत-ईक्षणः: whose gaze was set after bowing to living beings
• प्राणि-पात-कृत-ईक्षणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणि (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त/कृदन्त) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—प्राणिपाते कृते ईक्षणं यस्य (having his gaze fixed on/after performing prostration to beings)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तीर्थ-यात्राम्: a pilgrimage
• तीर्थ-यात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तीर्थस्य यात्रा (pilgrimage to a sacred place)

• उद्दिश्य: intending, aiming at
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः—‘having intended/aimed at’

• स्म: indeed (past-narrative particle)
• स्म: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भूतार्थे स्मरण/निपात (particle indicating past narration)

• आटति: wanders, roams
• आटति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आट् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजः: the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the episode within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇipātaka (violence/killing) generates pāpa that impels expiation; turning toward tīrtha-yātrā signals a karmic attempt at purification.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and śuddhi (purification) as preparatory ground for higher knowledge/bhakti; ethical restraint (ahiṃsā) as foundational.

Application: Adopt ahiṃsā and, upon moral lapse, seek corrective action: confession to elders/teachers, prescribed prāyaścitta, and disciplined pilgrimage/vrata with sincere repentance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: pilgrimage-route / sacred ford

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa themes: pāpa, prāyaścitta, tīrtha-mahātmyas (general); Garuda Purana on ahiṃsā and consequences of hiṃsā (general)

Characters & Entities

• Vaikhānasa sages
• Dvija (Brahmin)
• Tīrthas (sacred places)

FAQs

What is the importance of prāṇipāta (killing living beings) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse flags prāṇipāta as a grave karmic fault that becomes publicly recognizable to the righteous (sages), prompting the need for corrective action such as expiation and dharmic reform.

How does this verse connect pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā) with karmic cleansing?

The dvija undertakes tīrtha-yātrā specifically as an intended remedy—implying pilgrimage is pursued as prāyaścitta (atonement) when one is burdened by serious wrongdoing.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice ahiṃsā (non-harm) as the first discipline; and when harm has been done, pair sincere repentance with concrete corrective actions—ethical restraint, restitution, and disciplined spiritual practice rather than mere symbolic travel.