Shloka 53
Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death
या लक्ष्मीः सर्वभूतानां या च देवे व्यवस्थिता / धेनुरूपेण सा देवी मम पापं व्यपोहतु
yā lakṣmīḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ yā ca deve vyavasthitā / dhenurūpeṇa sā devī mama pāpaṃ vyapohatu
Möge die Göttin Lakṣmī—die in allen Wesen weilt und unter den Göttern fest gegründet ist—nun, in der Gestalt einer Kuh, meine Sünde hinwegnehmen.
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinatā-putra in Preta Kanda context)
Concept: Lakṣmī, pervading all beings and honored among devas, manifests as the cow to remove sin—purification through divine grace mediated by a sacred form.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha (divine grace) as purifier; immanence (sarva-bhūta-antar-vartitva) alongside transcendence.
Application: Invoke the divine in compassionate, life-sustaining forms; combine devotion with ethical living (non-harm, generosity) for inner cleansing.
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.30: cow as salvific/auspicious power; transition from dāna to protective prayer
FAQs
This verse invokes Lakṣmī in the form of a dhenu (cow), reflecting the Purāṇic view that cow-related sacred giving and remembrance support expiation of pāpa and strengthen auspicious merit connected with post-death rites.
In the Preta Kanda’s ritual-ethical framework, removal of pāpa is crucial because demerit is described as creating obstacles and suffering in the post-mortem passage; the prayer asks divine auspiciousness (Lakṣmī) to neutralize that burden.
Cultivate generosity and purity of conduct—especially dharmic charity (dāna) and sincere prayer—while treating life-sustaining beings with reverence, using the verse as a reminder to reduce harm and increase auspicious actions.