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Shloka 102

Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence

Devanagari script

प्रेताः संगवशेन नाकमवन्सन्तप्तको ब्राह्मणो विष्वक्सन इति प्रसिद्धविभवो नाम्ना गणे मे ऽभवत् / एतत्ते सकलं मया निगादितं यश्चैतदुत्कीर्तयेद्यश्चेदं शृणुयान्न सो ऽपि पुरुषः प्रेतत्वमाप्नोति हि

Transliteration

pretāḥ saṃgavaśena nākamavansantaptako brāhmaṇo viṣvaksana iti prasiddhavibhavo nāmnā gaṇe me 'bhavat / etatte sakalaṃ mayā nigāditaṃ yaścaitadutkīrtayedyaścedaṃ śṛṇuyānna so 'pi puruṣaḥ pretatvamāpnoti hi

Translation

Durch die Kraft der Gemeinschaft gelangten die Pretas in den Himmel; und der Brahmane namens Santaptaka, berühmt für seinen Wohlstand, wurde ein Glied meines Gefolges und war unter dem Namen Viṣvaksena bekannt. Dies alles habe ich dir vollständig dargelegt. Wer dies rezitiert und wer dies hört—ein solcher Mensch fällt wahrlich nicht in den Zustand eines Preta.

Word by Word
प्रेताःpretas; departed spirits
प्रेताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural
संगवशेनby the power of association
संगवशेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसंग (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (संगस्य वशः)
नाकम्heaven
नाकम्:
Karma (Goal/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनाक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular
अवन्attained; reached
अवन्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अव् (धातु)
Formलुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Aorist, 3rd person plural (they attained/reached)
सन्तप्तकःSantaptaka (name)
सन्तप्तकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसन्तप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (proper name)
ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin
ब्राह्मणः:
Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (apposition)
विष्वक्सनःViṣvaksana (name)
विष्वक्सनः:
Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्वक्सन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (proper name/epithet)
इतिthus; called
इति:
Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय — quotative particle
प्रसिद्धविभवःof renowned glory
प्रसिद्धविभवः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + विभव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः कर्मधारयः
नाम्नाby name
नाम्ना:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by name)
गणेin the group
गणे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootगण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Locative singular (in the group)
मेof me; my
मे:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive singular (of me)
अभवत्became; was
अभवत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु)
Formलुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Aorist, 3rd person singular (became/was)
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — this (as object/topic)
तेto you
ते:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी, एकवचन — Dative singular (to you)
सकलम्entire; whole
सकलम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसकल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — agreeing with एतत्
मयाby me
मया:
Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by me)
निगादितम्has been narrated
निगादितम्:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनिगादित (कृदन्त, √गद् with नि-)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past participle (told/declared)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (relative)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular
उत्कीर्तयेत्should proclaim; recite aloud
उत्कीर्तयेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootउत् + √कीर्त्/√कीर्तय् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/विधान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person singular (should proclaim)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction
इदम्this
इदम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular
शृणुयात्should listen
शृणुयात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√श्रु (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person singular (should hear)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय — negative particle
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात — particle (even)
पुरुषःperson
पुरुषः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular
प्रेतत्वम्the state of being a preta
प्रेतत्वम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular
आप्नोतिattains
आप्नोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√आप् (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person singular
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात — explanatory particle (indeed/for)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa-kīrtana of sacred teaching protects from preta-bhāva; sat-saṅga and divine affiliation transform destiny.

Vedantic Theme: Power of nāma/śabda and sattvic hearing; saṃskāra through sacred sound; grace-mediated purification of karmic trajectory.

Application: Regularly hear/recite purāṇic teachings with faith; use sacred reading as a preventive spiritual discipline, especially around death-rites contexts.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial court/retinue

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: phalaśruti passages promising protection through hearing/recitation; Motif of avoiding preta-state via śravaṇa, kīrtana, and proper rites

Characters & Entities
P
Pretas
S
Santaptaka (Brahmin)
V
Viṣvaksena

FAQs

This verse states that recitation (utkīrtana) and hearing (śravaṇa) of the teaching itself is a protective merit, preventing one from falling into the preta condition after death.

It emphasizes that outcomes after death are influenced by saṅga (association) and by contact with sacred discourse; such merit can elevate beings (even pretas) and avert the preta-state for listeners/reciters.

Maintain uplifting association and regularly listen to or recite sacred teachings—especially those connected with dharma and death rites—as a discipline that supports ethical living and prepares the mind for a good passage after death.

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