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Shloka 49

Svapnādhāya (Dream-Chapter): Causes, Forms, Nourishment, and Liberation of Pretas

Devanagari script

बृहच्छरीरिणो रौद्रा जाताः स्वेनैव कर्मणा / एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं प्रेतत्वे कारणं मया

Transliteration

bṛhaccharīriṇo raudrā jātāḥ svenaiva karmaṇā / etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ pretatve kāraṇaṃ mayā

Translation

Diejenigen, die einen riesigen Körper und eine wilde Natur besitzen, werden dies allein durch ihre eigenen Taten. So habe ich dir die Ursache für das Dasein als Preta vollständig erklärt.

Word by Word
बृहच्छरीरिणःlarge-bodied
बृहच्छरीरिणः:
Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootबृहत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि: बृहत् शरीरं येषां ते (those having large bodies)
रौद्राःfierce/terrible
रौद्राः:
Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootरौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
जाताःhave become
जाताः:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अर्थे: 'become/born'
स्वेनby one’s own
स्वेन:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; स्वेन = by one’s own
एवindeed/only
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
कर्मणाby (one’s) action/deed
कर्मणा:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र 'एतत् ... आख्यातम्' इति कर्मरूपे (object)
तेto you
ते:
Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान)/षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी: 'to you'
सर्वम्all (of it)
सर्वम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन
आख्यातम्has been explained/told
आख्यातम्:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + ख्या (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग: 'has been told'
प्रेतत्वेin the state of being a preta
प्रेतत्वे:
Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन
कारणम्cause
कारणम्:
Karta-predicative (Predicate complement/विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootकारण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र 'एतत् ... कारणम्' इति विधेय (predicate nominative)
मयाby me
मया:
Karaṇa/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental agent/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया (करण), एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: One’s own actions (स्वकर्म) generate fierce disposition and burdensome, painful embodiment; preta-state has definite causes.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as upādhi-producing force; guṇa-driven tendencies manifest as embodied experience until knowledge/merit dissolves bondage.

Application: Adopt restraint and compassion to avoid raudra tendencies; perform expiations and righteous conduct; ensure proper end-of-life rites to prevent preta suffering.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: causal lists for preta-bhāva and descriptions of raudra pretas; Garuda Purana: karma-phala expositions tied to post-mortem states

Characters & Entities
P
Pretas
G
Garuda
V
Vishnu
K
Karma

FAQs

This verse states that the preta condition—along with its harsh, fearsome characteristics—arises from one’s own karma, not from chance or external forces.

It implies that the post-death state (including the kind of body-experience and temperament) is shaped by prior actions, framing the afterlife journey as karmically determined.

Live ethically and restrain harmful actions, since the Purana links one’s future post-death condition directly to one’s own conduct and choices.

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