Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तैर्नोयमानन्तु कौतुकं मे ऽभवत्खग / पप्रच्छ न कियन्तं वै कालं तान्पृष्ठतो ऽन्वगाम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tairnoyamānantu kautukaṃ me 'bhavatkhaga / papraccha na kiyantaṃ vai kālaṃ tānpṛṣṭhato 'nvagām

Translation

Als ich sah, wie sie ihn fortführten, o Vogel Garuḍa, erwachte in mir Neugier. Ich fragte: „Wie lange bin ich ihnen von hinten gefolgt?“

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• नीयमानान्: being led (away)
• नीयमानान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (passive present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• कौतुकम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतुकम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अभवत्: arose, happened
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• खग: O bird
• खग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• कियन्तम्: how much, how long
• कियन्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• पृष्ठतः: from behind, behind
• पृष्ठतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), स्थानवाचक

• अन्वगाम्: I followed
• अन्वगाम्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Inquiry (jijñāsā) into unseen causality and the time-span of karmic processes.

Vedantic Theme: Viveka through observation and questioning; the seen hints at the unseen (adr̥ṣṭa).

Application: Cultivate careful inquiry into causes and consequences; do not remain passive before moral/ritual ambiguity—ask, verify, and seek guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: path/route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: motifs of being ‘led’ (nīyamāna) by attendants and the questioning of time in the preta-journey

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Yama’s attendants (Yamadutas)

FAQs

What is the importance of Yamadutas in Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights the moment the departed is led away by Yama’s attendants, a key narrative device in the Preta Kanda to explain the post-death journey and karmic accountability.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It depicts the soul (or the departed being) escorted by unseen agents, and the observer’s inquiry about the duration of following them suggests a measurable, sequential journey rather than an instant transition.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with awareness of consequences (karma) and support dharmic end-of-life rites and remembrance practices, since the text frames death as a guided passage with moral continuity.