Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

प्रत्याकृष्टेन्द्रियत्वाच्च बहिर्वृत्तिनिरोधकः / संस्कारमात्रगमनो मार्गभ्रष्टो बभूव ह

Transliteration

pratyākṛṣṭendriyatvācca bahirvṛttinirodhakaḥ / saṃskāramātragamano mārgabhraṣṭo babhūva ha

Translation

Und weil seine Sinne nach innen zurückgezogen waren, wurden seine äußeren Regungen gehemmt; nur von den Restprägungen der Saṃskāras bewegt, wurde er wahrlich zu einem, der vom Pfad abgeirrt war.

Word by Word

• प्रत्याकृष्ट-इन्द्रियत्वात्: because of the state of withdrawn senses
• प्रत्याकृष्ट-इन्द्रियत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति+आ+कृष् (धातु) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान-हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—प्रत्याकृष्टानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य तत् इन्द्रियत्वम्; ‘त्वात्’ = कारणार्थे ablative (because of withdrawn senses)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• बहिः-वृत्ति-निरोधकः: restrainer of outward activity
• बहिः-वृत्ति-निरोधकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + निरोधक (निरुध् धातु, ण्वुल्/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—बहिःवृत्तेः निरोधकः (one who restrains outward activity)

• संस्कार-मात्र-गमनः: moving only by habit
• संस्कार-मात्र-गमनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गमन (गम् धातु, ल्युट्/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—संस्कारमात्रे गमनं यस्य (moving only by habit/conditioning)

• मार्ग-भ्रष्टः: gone astray from the path
• मार्ग-भ्रष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + भ्रष्ट (भ्रंश् धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—मार्गात् भ्रष्टः (deviated from the path)

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Indriya-nigraha without right orientation can devolve into inert automatism; saṃskāra-driven motion indicates bondage to latent impressions and loss of viveka.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃskāra-vāsanā as seeds of saṃsāra; need for viveka and right guidance so withdrawal becomes sādhana, not confusion.

Application: Cultivate mindful sense-restraint with clear intention (dharma/bhakti/jñāna), seek teacherly guidance, and pair withdrawal with discrimination and ethical grounding.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: inner landscape (mind/senses)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana discussions of mind, saṃskāra, and the consequences of delusion (general); Garuda Purana moral narratives where wrong orientation leads to downfall (general)

Characters & Entities

• Soul (jiva)
• Indriyas (senses)
• Samskaras

FAQs

What is the importance of saṃskāra (latent impressions) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows that after the senses withdraw, the being can still “move” under the force of saṃskāras—past conditioning that propels the subtle body even when normal outward functioning has ceased.

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

It indicates a post-death condition where outward sense-activity is blocked, and the jīva is driven by residual impressions; such inner compulsion can cause confusion and deviation from the proper route (mārga) described in the Preta narrative.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sattvic habits and disciplined conduct so that one’s saṃskāras are clarifying rather than disorienting; strong ethical impressions support steadiness in life and, in the Purāṇic view, reduce post-death confusion.