Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

प्रेता ऊचुः / शृणु चाहारमस्माकं सर्वसत्त्बविगर्हितम् / यच्छ्रुत्वा गर्हसे ब्रह्मन् भूयोभूयश्च गर्हितम्

Transliteration

pretā ūcuḥ / śṛṇu cāhāramasmākaṃ sarvasattbavigarhitam / yacchrutvā garhase brahman bhūyobhūyaśca garhitam

Translation

Die Pretas sagten: „Höre von unserer Nahrung – Nahrung, die von allen Wesen verurteilt wird. Wenn du davon hörst, o Brahmane, wirst du uns immer wieder tadeln, und sie ist in der Tat immer tadelnswert.“

Word by Word

• प्रेताः: the pretas
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आहारम्: food
• आहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (possessive)

• सर्वसत्त्वविगर्हितम्: condemned by all beings
• सर्वसत्त्वविगर्हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + सत्त्व + विगर्हित (प्रातिपदिक; विगर्हित = विगर्ह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘विगर्हित’; ‘आहारम्’ इति विशेषण

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• गर्हसे: you condemn
• गर्हसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• भूयः: again and again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गर्हितम्: condemned
• गर्हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (प्रातिपदिक; गर्ह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); ‘आहारम्’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Pretas (departed spirits)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Degraded post-death experience is a direct karmic outcome; social and cosmic condemnation reflects objective moral order (ṛta/dharma).

Vedantic Theme: Karma binds the jīva to painful states; knowledge of consequences supports vairāgya and dharma-alignment.

Application: Cultivate śauca, satya, and right conduct; perform appropriate rites so the departed are not left to preta-deprivation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of preta hunger/thirst and impure sustenance; Garuda Purana: śrāddha efficacy passages—food offered with mantra reaches the preta

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Brahmin (addressed interlocutor)

FAQs

What is the importance of the preta’s “food” in Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that a preta’s sustenance is inherently impure and universally condemned, signaling the degraded, suffering condition that results from karmic bondage and post-death instability.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It depicts the preta phase as one marked by distress and shameful dependence on ‘reprehensible’ nourishment, implying a transitional state where the being is burdened by past actions and in need of proper rites and purification.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically to avoid post-death suffering and, when a death occurs, perform prescribed śrāddha/pinda-related duties with sincerity to support the departed and uphold dharma.