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Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

वने तु विजने तत्र पापाध्वगगतिं गतः / तस्याः सवस्त्रं पाथेयं तत्सूनोर्वसनानि च

Transliteration

vane tu vijane tatra pāpādhvagagatiṃ gataḥ / tasyāḥ savastraṃ pātheyaṃ tatsūnorvasanāni ca

Translation

Doch dort, in jenem einsamen, öden Wald, schreitet er den Pfad der Sünder. Für den Hingegangenen sind die Reisevorräte das Verdienst der dargebrachten Gewänder—samt den Kleidern, die zu ihrem Nutzen gespendet wurden, und auch den Gewändern, die für ihren Sohn dargebracht wurden.

Word by Word
वनेin the forest
वने:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootवन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Discourse (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (particle)
विजनेlonely/deserted
विजने:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootविजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वने इति)
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)
पापाध्वगगतिम्the path/way of a sinful traveler
पापाध्वगगतिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्वग (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य अध्वगस्य गतिः)
गतःhaving gone
गतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘gone’
तस्याःof her
तस्याः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
सवस्त्रम्together with clothes
सवस्त्रम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस (उपसर्ग-सदृश/प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रेण सह)
पाथेयम्provisions for the journey
पाथेयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपाथेय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
तत्सूनोःof that son
तत्सूनोः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य सूनोः)
वसनानिgarments
वसनानि:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवसन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन
चand
च:
Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Post-death offerings during śrāddha-related dana (general context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dana (especially vastra-dana) becomes ‘path-provision’ for the departed; papa leads to a fearful road.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as subtle support (upakara) beyond death; dharmic acts accompany the jiva as samskara-phala.

Application: Perform charity—clothing, essentials—in memory of the deceased; live so one’s ‘road’ is not the sinner’s path.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: forest-path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Shraddha/Preta sections: vastra-dana and dana as pretayatra-sahayaka (general motif)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
P
Preta

FAQs

This verse states that garments offered in charity become “pātheya” (provisions) for the departed on the difficult post-death journey, especially when passing through fearful, desolate regions.

It portrays the departed moving through a lonely forest-like stretch associated with sinners, implying hardship on the route; supportive merits—such as clothing donations—function as practical spiritual aid on that path.

Perform charitable giving (especially clothing) in connection with funeral/śrāddha observances, and live ethically to avoid the “pāpādhva” (sinful road) described here.

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