Shloka 69
Babhruvāhana Meets a Preta: Vṛṣotsarga, Heirless Death, and the Signs of Preta-Affliction
क्रियाधिकारस्तस्यैव यो धनग्राहको भवेत् / कुर्वतोस्तु तयोर्वार्तामेवं प्रेतमहीक्षितोः
kriyādhikārastasyaiva yo dhanagrāhako bhavet / kurvatostu tayorvārtāmevaṃ pretamahīkṣitoḥ
Das Recht, die Totenriten (kriyā) zu vollziehen, gehört allein dem, der den Besitz des Verstorbenen empfängt. Und während diese Riten ausgeführt werden, erfährt der Preta—unter dem Blick Yamas, des Herrn der Toten—die Folgen entsprechend dem Tun beider, des Gebenden und des Empfangenden.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Beneficiary: Pitr
Concept: Kriyādhikāra (eligibility/authority) for antyeṣṭi and related rites is tied to the heir/wealth-receiver; actions of giver/receiver bear immediate experiential consequence for the preta under Yama’s supervision.
Vedantic Theme: Karma and adhikāra: embodied agents act, but the subtle being reaps/undergoes results; dharma regulates agency to align outcomes.
Application: Clarify succession/ritual responsibility; ensure the rightful heir performs śrāddha/antyeṣṭi with integrity, avoiding disputes that disturb rites and the departed’s welfare.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: discussions on śrāddha-adhikāra and the preta’s dependence on survivors’ rites; Garuda Purana: Yama’s oversight of karmaphala during preta-journey passages
FAQs
This verse links ritual authority to responsibility: the one who accepts the deceased’s wealth also bears the dharmic duty to conduct the post-death rites properly.
It implies the departed exists as a preta during the interim period and is affected by how the living carry out the prescribed rites, under Yama’s oversight.
If you inherit property or assume family responsibility, ensure the departed’s last rites and śrāddha are performed conscientiously, ethically, and in accordance with tradition and family duty.