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Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

ततो याति पुरं प्रेतः क्रूरं मासे तु पञ्चमे / इह दत्तं सुतैर्भुङ्क्ते प्रेतो वै तत्पुरे स्थितः / षष्ठे मासि ततः प्रेतो याति क्रौञ्चाबिधं पुरम्

Transliteration

tato yāti puraṃ pretaḥ krūraṃ māse tu pañcame / iha dattaṃ sutairbhuṅkte preto vai tatpure sthitaḥ / ṣaṣṭhe māsi tataḥ preto yāti krauñcābidhaṃ puram

Translation

Dann, im fünften Monat, geht der Preta in eine grausame Stadt. Während er in dieser Stadt verweilt, nimmt der Preta wahrlich das zu sich, was ihm hier von seinen Söhnen dargebracht wird. Danach, im sechsten Monat, zieht der Preta weiter zur Stadt namens Krauñca.

Word by Word
ततःthen
ततः:
सम्बन्ध (Sequence)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formकाल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (temporal/sequential adverb)
यातिgoes
याति:
क्रिया (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
पुरम्to a city
पुरम्:
कर्म (Destination as object)
TypeNoun
Rootपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
प्रेतःthe preta (departed spirit)
प्रेतः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
क्रूरम्cruel/terrible
क्रूरम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier of कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (पुरम्)
मासेin the month
मासे:
अधिकरण (Time locus)
TypeNoun
Rootमास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)
पञ्चमेfifth
पञ्चमे:
अधिकरण (Time qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (मासे)
इहhere (in this world)
इह:
अधिकरण (Location)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
दत्तम्what is given
दत्तम्:
कर्म (Object)
TypeAdjective
Rootदा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'given' (object of भुङ्क्ते)
सुतैःby sons
सुतैः:
करण/कर्तृ-हेतु (Agent/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootसुत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)
भुङ्क्तेenjoys/partakes
भुङ्क्ते:
क्रिया (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootभुज् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद
प्रेतःthe preta
प्रेतः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
वैindeed
वै:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; emphasis)
तत्पुरेin that city
तत्पुरे:
अधिकरण (Location)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — 'in that city'
स्थितःstaying
स्थितः:
कर्तृ-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'standing/remaining'
षष्ठेin the sixth
षष्ठे:
अधिकरण (Time qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootषष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण
मासिmonth
मासि:
अधिकरण (Time locus)
TypeNoun
Rootमास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
ततःthen
ततः:
सम्बन्ध (Sequence)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formकाल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (sequential adverb)
प्रेतःthe preta
प्रेतः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
यातिgoes
याति:
क्रिया (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
क्रौञ्चाबिधम्called Krauñca
क्रौञ्चाबिधम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier of कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्रौञ्च + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — 'named (as) Krauñca' (qualifying पुरम्)
पुरम्city
पुरम्:
कर्म (Destination)
TypeNoun
Rootपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Fifth and sixth months (implied monthly offerings continuing)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Offerings made by sons reach and sustain the preta in the otherworld; the journey proceeds in ordered stages.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual causality across realms; social-dharmic bonds (putra–pitṛ) persist as functional links in saṃsāra.

Application: Descendants should perform monthly śrāddha/offerings without interruption; families should plan rites collectively to ensure continuity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: otherworldly cities (pura) on the preta-path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: putra-kṛta śrāddha as primary support for the preta (multiple passages); Garuda Purana: discussions of putra-dharma and pitṛ-ṛṇa (general)

Characters & Entities
P
Preta
S
Sutāḥ (sons)
K
Krūra-pura
K
Krauñca-pura

FAQs

This verse states that the preta, while residing in the after-death city during the fifth month, partakes of what the sons offer here—affirming the intended efficacy of śrāddha and related rites for the departed.

It presents a staged, month-based progression of the preta through specific puras (cities) in the post-mortem journey—moving from Krūra-pura in the fifth month to Krauñca-pura in the sixth.

Perform śrāddha/pinda-dāna with sincerity and regularity, and support family duties toward ancestors, as the text links such offerings to the preta’s sustenance during the transitional after-death period.

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