Shloka 55
Svapnādhāya (Dream-Chapter): Causes, Forms, Nourishment, and Liberation of Pretas
श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषोत्थं शरीराणां मलैः सह / उच्छिष्टैश्चैव चान्यैश्च प्रेतानां भोजनं भवेत्
śleṣmamūtrapurīṣotthaṃ śarīrāṇāṃ malaiḥ saha / ucchiṣṭaiścaiva cānyaiśca pretānāṃ bhojanaṃ bhavet
Für Pretas besteht die Nahrung aus dem, was aus Schleim, Urin und Kot entsteht – zusammen mit dem Schmutz des Körpers – sowie aus Resten und anderen unreinen Überbleibseln.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Adharma and neglected rites yield a preta condition where sustenance is impure remnants; the subtle body experiences corresponding gross disgust.
Vedantic Theme: The jīva’s experience follows vāsanā and karma; bondage expresses as compelled contact with the impure until purification through dharma/rites.
Application: Maintain śauca in food, body, and home; perform śrāddha/pinda-dāna so the departed are not driven to such sustenance.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta hunger and dependence on offerings; descriptions of aśuci remnants as preta sustenance; Garuda Purana: śrāddha chapters prescribing pure food, mantra, and intention
FAQs
It highlights the degraded condition of the departed in the preta state and underscores why śrāddha and pinda-dāna are prescribed—to provide pure, supportive sustenance instead of impure remnants.
It reflects the intermediate preta condition where the being experiences hardship and dependence; without proper rites and merit, its sustenance is described as impure and distressing, indicating a troubled post-death journey.
Perform ancestral rites with sincerity (as per one’s tradition), cultivate purity in conduct and food, and live ethically—so one’s post-death transition is supported by dharma rather than marked by deprivation.