Shloka 24

Preta-Mokṣa Upāya: Svapna-Lakṣaṇa, Pitṛ-Doṣa, and Prescribed Rites

Kṛṣṇa-bali & Nārāyaṇa-bali

Devanagari script

भूतप्रेतपिशाचैर्वा स चेदन्यैः प्रपीड्यते / पित्रुद्देशेन वै कुर्यान्नारायणबलिं तदा / विमुक्तः सर्वपीडाभ्य इति सत्यं वचो मम

Transliteration

bhūtapretapiśācairvā sa cedanyaiḥ prapīḍyate / pitruddeśena vai kuryānnārāyaṇabaliṃ tadā / vimuktaḥ sarvapīḍābhya iti satyaṃ vaco mama

Translation

Wird jemand von bhūtas, pretas, piśācas oder anderen dergleichen Wesen bedrängt, so soll man dann im Namen der Pitṛs das Nārāyaṇa-bali vollziehen. Dadurch wird er von allen Plagen befreit — dies ist wahrlich mein Wort.

Word by Word

• भूतप्रेतपिशाचैः: by bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas
• भूतप्रेतपिशाचैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-like/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (भूताः प्रेताः पिशाचाश्च)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

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

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अन्यैः: by others
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्यैः [भूतादिभिः])

• प्रपीड्यते: is afflicted/tormented
• प्रपीड्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense); √पीड् (पीडने) उपसर्गः ‘प्र’

• पितृउद्देशेन: with reference to the ancestors; in the name of the pitṛs
• पितृउद्देशेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणाम् उद्देशः)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √कृ (करणे)

• नारायणबलिम्: offering to Narayana
• नारायणबलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नारायणस्य बलिः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• विमुक्तः: freed; released
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु) → विमुक्त (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) √मुच् (मोचने) उपसर्गः ‘वि’

• सर्वपीडाभ्यः: from all afflictions
• सर्वपीडाभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः (सर्वाः पीडाः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (वचः)

• वचः: statement; word
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Performed when affliction by bhūta/preta/piśāca is observed; done in pitṛ-uddeśa as a remedial śānti.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When afflicted by bhūta/preta/piśāca, perform Nārāyaṇa-bali in pitṛ-uddeśa; divine-oriented rite restores order and removes pīḍā.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-āśraya: taking refuge in Nārāyaṇa as the harmonizing principle; ritual as a means to re-establish sattva and dharmic balance.

Application: In times of intense fear/‘haunting’ experiences, respond with structured, ethical, and community-validated remedies (prayer, remembrance rites, charity), avoiding panic and harmful superstition.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: liminal domestic space / ritual ground for śānti

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Narayana-bali prescriptions in Pretakalpa/śrāddha contexts (adjacent 2.21.22–26); Garuda Purana: bhūta-preta śānti and pitṛ-doṣa alleviation passages (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Pitris
• Bhutas
• Pretas
• Pisachas

FAQs

What is the importance of Narayana Bali in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Nārāyaṇa-bali as a specific remedial rite dedicated in the name of the Pitṛs, said to remove afflictions caused by pretas, bhūtas, and piśācas.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By mentioning pretas and Pitṛ-dedication, it reflects the Garuda Purana’s concern with post-death states and disturbances linked to unsettled departed beings, indicating that proper ancestral rites help restore order and relief.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It advises that when suffering is traditionally interpreted as spirit-related disturbance, one should prioritize prescribed ancestral/ritual duties (Pitṛ-oriented rites like Nārāyaṇa-bali) under qualified guidance, emphasizing dharma-based remedial action.