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Shloka 28

The Explanation of Various Gifts (Dāna) and the Soul’s Entry into Another Body

Devanagari script

शरीरञ्च पतेत् पश्चान्निर्गते मरुतीश्वरे / वाताहतः पतत्येव निराधारो यथा द्रुमः

Transliteration

śarīrañca patet paścānnirgate marutīśvare / vātāhataḥ patatyeva nirādhāro yathā drumaḥ

Translation

Wenn der Herr der Lebenswinde fortgegangen ist, stürzt der Körper danach zusammen; vom Wind getroffen fällt er haltlos nieder, wie ein Baum.

Word by Word
शरीरम्the body
शरीरम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्ययम्
पतेत्would fall; falls
पतेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√पत् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
पश्चात्afterwards
पश्चात्:
Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपश्चात् (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)
निर्गतेwhen (it/he) has departed
निर्गते:
Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
TypeVerb
Rootनिर्गत (कृदन्त; √गम् + निर् + क्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle) सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)
मरुतीश्वरेwhen the lord of wind (vital air) has gone out
मरुतीश्वरे:
Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
TypeNoun
Rootमरुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी) = ‘मरुताम् ईश्वरः’ (lord of winds)
वाताहतःstruck by wind
वाताहतः:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootवात (प्रातिपदिक) + आहत (कृदन्त; √हन् + आ + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तृतीया) = ‘वातेन आहतः’
पततिfalls
पतति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√पत् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
एवindeed/just
एव:
Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)
निराधारःunsupported
निराधारः:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-प्रत्ययार्थकः = ‘without support’
यथाas/like
यथा:
Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formउपमानवाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)
द्रुमःa tree
द्रुमः:
Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootद्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The body’s vitality depends on prāṇa; once prāṇa leaves, the body is merely matter and falls.

Vedantic Theme: Dehātma-bhrānti correction: the Self is not the body; the body is a dependent upādhi.

Application: Practice disidentification from the body through contemplation and meditation; prepare for death with equanimity and remembrance of the divine.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: deathbed/embodied locus

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.31 (sequence: prāṇa exit → bodily collapse → elemental dissolution)

Characters & Entities
M
Marutīśvara (Prāṇa, lord of vital winds)

FAQs

This verse states that once the “lord of the winds” (prāṇa) departs, the body loses its sustaining force and collapses, marking death as the separation of vital energy from the physical form.

By emphasizing that the body falls only after prāṇa departs, it implies the conscious principle continues beyond the body; the physical frame becomes inert while the subtle journey begins (a key theme of the Preta Kanda).

It encourages detachment from mere physical identity and motivates timely dharma and death-preparation practices (such as remembrance of the Divine and proper rites), recognizing the body’s dependence on prāṇa.

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