Shloka 10

Preta-lakṣaṇa and Svapna-nimitta: Dream Portents of Preta-affliction and the Prescribed Remedies

Devanagari script

स्वप्नमध्ये तु पक्षीन्द्र प्रेतलिङ्गान्यनेकधा / स्वकलत्रं स्वबन्धुं वा स्वसुतं स्वपतिं विभुम् / विद्यमानं मृतं पश्येत्प्रेतदोषेण निश्चितम्

Transliteration

svapnamadhye tu pakṣīndra pretaliṅgānyanekadhā / svakalatraṃ svabandhuṃ vā svasutaṃ svapatiṃ vibhum / vidyamānaṃ mṛtaṃ paśyetpretadoṣeṇa niścitam

Translation

Im Traum, o Herr der Vögel (Garuda), kann man vielerlei Zeichen eines Preta sehen. Man mag die eigene Frau, einen Verwandten, den Sohn oder den Gatten—obwohl sie leben—wie tot erblicken; dies geschieht gewiss durch die Anfechtung, die mit einem Preta verbunden ist.

Word by Word

• svapna-madhye: in the midst of a dream
• svapna-madhye: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वप्नस्य मध्ये = in the middle of a dream)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे (but/indeed)

• pakṣīndra: O lord of birds
• pakṣīndra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पक्षिणाम् इन्द्रः)

• preta-liṅgāni: signs of a preta (ghostly signs)
• preta-liṅgāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतस्य लिङ्गानि)

• aneka-dhā: in many ways
• aneka-dhā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + dhā (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in many ways)

• sva-kalatraṃ: one's own spouse
• sva-kalatraṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + kalatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (स्वं कलत्रम्)

• sva-bandhuṃ: one's own relative
• sva-bandhuṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + bandhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (स्वः बन्धुः)

• vā: or
• vā: Connector (समुच्चय/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• sva-sutaṃ: one's own son
• sva-sutaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (स्वः सुतः)

• sva-patiṃ: one's own husband/master
• sva-patiṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (स्वः पतिः)

• vibhum: the mighty one/lord
• vibhum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• vidyamānaṃ: (someone) existing/alive
• vidyamānaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vid (विद्) (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (existing/present)

• mṛtaṃ: dead
• mṛtaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √mṛ (मृ) (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dead)

• paśyet: may see/should see
• paśyet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), एकवचन

• preta-doṣeṇa: due to the preta-affliction
• preta-doṣeṇa: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतस्य दोषः)

• niścitam: certain/definite
• niścitam: Predicate qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ni-ści (नि-श्चि) (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम्/क्रियाविशेषणभावः (certainly/ascertained)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Preta-doṣa can manifest as dream-visions of living relatives appearing dead, indicating unresolved post-death conditions tied to karmic/ritual deficit.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala operating through subtle signs (nimitta) within the mind; the jīva’s subtle experience reflects unseen causal conditions.

Application: Treat repeated death-visions in dreams as a prompt to consult tradition (ācārya/vaidika) and perform appropriate śānti/prāyaścitta rather than dismissing them.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: dreamscape

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.23.11-14 (dream signs leading to piṇḍa/tarpaṇa/prāyaścitta); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa themes: preta-lakṣaṇa, preta-śānti, śrāddha efficacy

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of dream omens (svapna-liṅga) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats certain disturbing dream-visions—seeing living loved ones as dead—as meaningful indications linked to preta-affliction, prompting spiritual caution and remedial attention.

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

Indirectly: it distinguishes the preta-state as a specific post-death condition whose influence can manifest as omens, implying that unresolved post-death conditions may affect the living through signs and disturbances.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If such dreams recur, one should respond with steadiness—prayer, charity, remembrance of the departed, and consulting appropriate śrāddha/ritual guidance—rather than panic, treating the dream as a prompt for dharmic action.