Shloka 1

Akālamṛtyu: Preta-state Categories and the Nārāyaṇa-bali / Ekoddiṣṭa Remedy

Devanagari script

सूतककालादिनिरूपणं नामै कोनचत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः तार्क्ष्य उवाच / भगवन्ब्राह्मणाः केचिदपमृत्युवशं गताः / कथं तेषां भवेन्मार्गः किं स्थानं का गतिर्भवेत्

Transliteration

sūtakakālādinirūpaṇaṃ nāmai konacatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ tārkṣya uvāca / bhagavanbrāhmaṇāḥ kecidapamṛtyuvaśaṃ gatāḥ / kathaṃ teṣāṃ bhavenmārgaḥ kiṃ sthānaṃ kā gatirbhavet

Translation

Vierzigstes Kapitel, genannt «Bestimmung der Sūtaka-Zeit und Weiteres». Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) sprach: «O erhabener Herr, einige Brāhmaṇas sind der Macht des unzeitigen Todes (apamṛtyu) anheimgefallen. Welchen Weg gehen sie? In welchem Zustand sind sie, und welches Ziel (gati) erlangen sie?»

Word by Word

• sūtakakālādinirūpaṇam: determination of impurity time etc.
• sūtakakālādinirūpaṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūtakakālādinirūpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nāma: named
• nāma: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb

• ekonacatvāriṃśaḥ: thirty-ninth
• ekonacatvāriṃśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekonacatvāriṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; Ordinal Number

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tārkṣyaḥ: Tarkshya (Garuda)
• tārkṣyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tārkṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Lit/लिट्), 3rd Person (Prathama), Singular

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (Sambodhana), Singular

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• kecid: some
• kecid: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim + cid (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• apamṛtyuvaśam: control of unnatural death
• apamṛtyuvaśam: Karma (Object/कर्म) of gatāḥ
• Type: Noun
• Root: apamṛtyuvaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• gatāḥ: gone (died)
• gatāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण) acting as Verb
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; Past Participle

• katham: how
• katham: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative Adverb

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• bhavet: should be/would be
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Potential (Vidhilin/विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (Prathama), Singular

• mārgaḥ: path
• mārgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• kim: what
• kim: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sthānam: place/abode
• sthānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• kā: what
• kā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• gatiḥ: goal/state
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• bhavet: should be
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Potential (Vidhilin/विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (Prathama), Singular

Speaker

Garuḍa (Tārkṣya, Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Apamṛtyu (untimely death) raises specific questions of post-mortem route, interim state, and final destination—implying differentiated karmic mechanics beyond ordinary death.

Vedantic Theme: Karma governs gati; death-time and manner interact with saṃskāra and prārabdha, shaping the jīva’s post-mortem trajectory.

Application: Use the teaching to motivate protective dharma (right living, rites, and devotion) and to address anxiety around sudden death through śāstra-informed frameworks.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: celestial discourse setting (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.40 (Sūtaka-kāla and apamṛtyu discussion opening); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa narrative arcs on yamadūta-mārga and gati (contextual link)

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Bhagavān (Lord Viṣṇu)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Apamṛtyu (untimely death)

FAQs

What is the importance of apamṛtyu (untimely death) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames apamṛtyu as a distinct condition requiring clarification about the deceased’s post-death path, state, and destination—implying special attention in ritual and afterlife doctrine.

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

It introduces the core inquiry: the “mārga” (course) and “gati” (destiny) of those who die untimely, setting up the Garuda–Viṣṇu dialogue that explains post-mortem states in the Preta Kāṇḍa.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages careful observance of appropriate post-death rites and ethical living, while recognizing that different kinds of death are traditionally understood to entail different ritual considerations and spiritual outcomes.