Shloka 68
Gradations of Bliss and Knowledge; Lakṣmī’s Special Insight; The Rarity of Bhakti in Kali-yuga; Nīlā’s Vow and Śrīnivāsa Darśana
देहं तत्रैव संत्यज्य कुमारी चैव पुत्रिका
dehaṃ tatraiva saṃtyajya kumārī caiva putrikā
Casting off the body right there, the unmarried maiden and the young daughter attain the state ordained for them.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Deha-tyāga (casting off the body) as a decisive transition governed by destiny/karma rather than social status (unmarried/young).
Vedantic Theme: Anityatā of the body; distinction between deha and the continuing jīva’s trajectory.
Application: Cultivate preparedness for death through remembrance of dharma and devotion; do not postpone essential rites/virtues assuming youth guarantees time.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: general deha-tyāga and preta-avasthā discussions (contextual)
FAQs
This verse highlights the pivotal moment of death—“abandoning the body”—which is the transition point after which the being is discussed in terms of post-death states and rites in the Preta Kanda.
By stating that the person “casts off the body right there,” it focuses on the immediate separation of embodied life from the next condition; the surrounding narrative in the Preta Kanda typically proceeds to describe what follows this separation and what rites support the departed.
It encourages timely performance of family duties and compassionate support for bereaved households, remembering that death can come unexpectedly regardless of age, and that proper remembrance/rites are treated as meaningful in the tradition.