Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 41

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

व्रजंस्तिष्ठन्पदैकेन यथैवैकेन गच्छति / यथा तृणजलौकेव देही कर्मानुगो ऽवशः

Transliteration

vrajaṃstiṣṭhanpadaikena yathaivaikena gacchati / yathā tṛṇajalaukeva dehī karmānugo 'vaśaḥ

Translation

যেনেকৈ জলৌকা (জোঁক) ঘাঁহৰ ডাঁটিত লেগি এক প্ৰান্তে ধৰি থাকে আৰু আন প্ৰান্ত এৰি এৰি আগবাঢ়ে; তেনেকৈ দেহধাৰী জীৱ কৰ্মৰ অনুগত হৈ, অবশভাৱে নিজৰ পথত আগুৱাই যায়।

Word by Word

• व्रजन्: going
• व्रजन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु) + शतृ → व्रजन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• तिष्ठन्: standing
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + शतृ → तिष्ठन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• पद-एकेन: with one step/foot
• पद-एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (एकं पदम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as, just as)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (पदेन)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (as)

• तृण-जलौका: a leech on a blade of grass
• तृण-जलौका: Karta (Subject of simile/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + जलौका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तृणे जलौका), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (like)

• देही: the embodied being
• देही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्म-अनुगः: following karma, led by deeds
• कर्म-अनुगः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग (अनु-गम् धातु + अ; कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कर्मणः अनुगः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (देही)

• अवशः: helpless, involuntary
• अवशः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (देही)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The embodied being proceeds under the force of its own karma, with limited agency—like a leech’s incremental movement.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as causal constraint in saṃsāra; implicit invitation toward vairāgya and seeking freedom beyond karma (mokṣa) though not explicitly stated.

Application: Act with foresight: present choices become future compulsions; cultivate ethical discipline and devotional/reflective practices to lessen karmic drag.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated emphasis on ‘karma-anuga’ helplessness of the preta; Garuda Purana: analogies illustrating the soul’s constrained journey

Characters & Entities

• Dehī (Jīva)
• Karma

FAQs

What is the importance of karma in the Garuda Purana’s description of the after-death journey?

This verse states that the embodied soul is not fully autonomous in its post-death course; it is compelled to proceed according to the momentum and consequences of its own karma.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Using the leech-on-grass analogy, it portrays the soul’s progression as a step-by-step movement driven by attachment and release—symbolizing how karmic bindings propel the jīva forward through successive states and experiences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical restraint and compassion, knowing actions have binding results; cultivate dharma and remembrance of the Divine to reduce compulsive karmic momentum and support a clearer, more auspicious trajectory.