Shloka 96
Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence
विनीतत्वाविनीतत्वे जानीमो नैव नः प्रभो / श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / एवं वदत्सु प्रेतेषु तथा श्रुतवति द्विजे
vinītatvāvinītatve jānīmo naiva naḥ prabho / śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / evaṃ vadatsu preteṣu tathā śrutavati dvije
«O Herr, wir wissen wahrlich nicht, was Demut ist und was Undemut.» Śrī Kṛṣṇa sprach: «Während die Pretas so redeten und der zweifachgeborene Brāhmaṇa entsprechend zuhörte…»
Śrī Kṛṣṇa (narrative transition after the pretas’ statement)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Discerning vinaya (humility) from avinaya (impropriety) requires guidance; right understanding is taught through śravaṇa (listening) to the divine/wise.
Vedantic Theme: Śravaṇa as a prerequisite for right knowledge; removal of avidya through authoritative instruction.
Application: When unsure about ethical qualities, seek competent instruction; cultivate listening before asserting certainty.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: narrative transitions where Bhagavan instructs after preta confessions (contextual parallel)
FAQs
This verse frames humility as a subtle moral quality that beings may fail to recognize in themselves; in the after-death context, such self-knowledge is crucial for aligning with dharma and avoiding harmful conduct.
It situates the teaching within the preta narrative—departed spirits speak and a dvija listens—showing that instruction about conduct and its consequences is delivered as part of the soul’s post-death journey discourse.
Practice self-audit in speech and behavior: cultivate humility, avoid pride, and seek correction from learned counsel—ethical restraint is treated as spiritually consequential in Garuda Purana style teachings.