Shloka 2
Preta-bhāva: Causes, Remedies, and the Rationale of Post-death Rites
Question-Catalogue
शृकृष्ण उवाच / शृणु दानं प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वाशु भविनाशनम् / सन्तप्तहाटकमयं घटकं विधाय ब्रह्मेशकेशवयुतं सह लोकपालैः / क्षीराज्यपूर्णविविरं प्रणिपत्य भक्त्या विप्राय देहि तव दानशतैः किमन्यैः
śṛkṛṣṇa uvāca / śṛṇu dānaṃ pravakṣyāmi sarvāśu bhavināśanam / santaptahāṭakamayaṃ ghaṭakaṃ vidhāya brahmeśakeśavayutaṃ saha lokapālaiḥ / kṣīrājyapūrṇaviviraṃ praṇipatya bhaktyā viprāya dehi tava dānaśataiḥ kimanyaiḥ
Śrī Kṛṣṇa sprach: „Höre — ich werde eine Gabe (dāna) darlegen, die alle Furcht rasch vernichtet. Fertige ein Gefäß aus im Feuer geläutertem Gold, geschmückt mit Brahmā, Īśa (Śiva) und Keśava (Viṣṇu) samt den Lokapālas; fülle seinen Hohlraum mit Milch und Ghee; und verneige dich dann in Bhakti und gib es einem Brāhmaṇa. Wozu bedarf es noch hunderter anderer Gaben?“
Śrī Kṛṣṇa (identified in the verse as śrīkṛṣṇa)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Beneficiary: Pitr
Concept: Specific, devotionally performed dāna—properly crafted, consecrated, and given to a worthy recipient—can swiftly remove fear and adverse post-mortem conditions.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga purified by bhakti; efficacy depends on śraddhā, right recipient (pātra), and intention, aligning action with dharma.
Application: If following tradition: commission/prepare the prescribed golden vessel with iconography, fill with kṣīra and ghṛta, bow with devotion, and donate to a qualified brāhmaṇa; otherwise, emulate the principle—high-integrity giving with reverence and purity.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: ritual-instruction setting
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-mahātmyas and preta-śānti dānas in Pretakalpa/śrāddha-related chapters; Garuda Purana: discussions of pātra (worthy recipient) and bhakti as multiplier of merit
FAQs
This verse presents a specific ritual charity—offering a gold vessel associated with major deities and filled with milk and ghee—as a highly efficacious dāna said to quickly remove fear and confer strong spiritual merit, surpassing many lesser donations.
In the Preta Kanda, dāna is repeatedly taught as a support for the deceased and the family’s ritual duty; here, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes a potent form of charity that counters fear (bhaya), a common theme in post-death passages dealing with uncertainty, rites, and the soul’s welfare.
Prioritize sincere, dharmic giving with devotion—especially supporting qualified priests/learned brāhmaṇas and ritual needs—rather than focusing on quantity; the verse highlights intention (bhakti) and meaningful, tradition-aligned charity.