Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

स्वप्ने यो भुज्यमानस्य गृहीत्वान्नं पलायते / आत्मनस्तु परो वापि तृषार्तस्तु जलं पिबेत्

Transliteration

svapne yo bhujyamānasya gṛhītvānnaṃ palāyate / ātmanastu paro vāpi tṛṣārtastu jalaṃ pibet

Translation

Wenn im Traum jemand dem Essenden die Speise entreißt und davonläuft, oder wenn man selbst oder ein anderer, von Durst gequält, Wasser trinkt, so gelten diese Bilder hier als bedeutsame Traumzeichen.

Word by Word

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• bhujyamānasya: of (food) being eaten
• bhujyamānasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhujyamāna (कृदन्त; √bhuj (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle: being eaten)

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having taken

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• palāyate: runs away
• palāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √palāy (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• paraḥ: another person
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (also/even)

• tṛṣārtaḥ: afflicted by thirst
• tṛṣārtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तृतीयातत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (tṛṣayā ārtaḥ = afflicted by thirst)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• pibet: should drink
• pibet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Portents manifest through symbolic deprivation; unseen karmic residues can surface as dream-signs prompting corrective dharmic acts.

Vedantic Theme: Karma’s subtle fruition (sūkṣma-phala) appearing in mind-space; necessity of right action to harmonize outcomes.

Application: Respond with protective dharma: charity of food/water, remembrance of Vishnu, and if ancestor-context is suspected, perform śrāddha/tarpaṇa.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: oneiric/liminal

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: catalog of svapna-nimitta (dream omens) and their remedial rites

Characters & Entities

• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of dream omens in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda, dream-omens are used as indicators of approaching misfortune or life-disturbance, prompting heightened dharmic conduct, prayer, and remedial rites.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Rather than describing the post-death journey directly, this verse sits in the section that lists premonitory signs; such signs are presented as warnings before the soul’s separation from the body becomes imminent.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat disturbing, deprivation-themed dreams (food taken away, intense thirst) as cues to reflect, reduce harmful habits, increase charity/discipline, and—if one follows tradition—perform simple protective prayers and ancestral offerings.