Shloka 28

Devanagari script

प्रेतः कौक्षिप्यते कस्मात्पञ्चरत्नं मुखे कथम् / अधस्ताच्चालिता दर्भाः पादौ याम्यां व्यवस्थितौ

Transliteration

pretaḥ kaukṣipyate kasmātpañcaratnaṃ mukhe katham / adhastāccālitā darbhāḥ pādau yāmyāṃ vyavasthitau

Translation

Garuda asks: “Why is the dead person (preta) laid out upon a bier? Why are the five precious substances placed in the mouth? Why are blades of darbha-grass arranged and moved beneath? And why are the feet set facing south, the direction of Yama?”

Word by Word

• प्रेतः: the dead person (preta)
• प्रेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कौक्षिप्यते: is placed into the belly/womb (i.e., consigned)
• कौक्षिप्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive/कर्मणि), आत्मनेपदम्; 'कुक्षौ क्षिप्यते' इति भावः

• कस्मात्: why / from what cause
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause question/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (from what reason/why)

• पञ्चरत्नम्: five gems (a set of five jewels)
• पञ्चरत्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च रत्नानि यस्मिन्/पञ्चरत्नसमूहः)

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (how)

• अधस्तात्: downwards, below
• अधस्तात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (below/downwards)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (and)

• आलिताः: placed/laid
• आलिताः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√लि (धातु) → आलित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'आलिताः' = स्थापिताः/न्यस्ताः (placed)

• दर्भाः: darbha grasses
• दर्भाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पादौ: the two feet
• पादौ: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• याम्याम्: in the southern (direction)
• याम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिशि) — दक्षिणदिशि (southern direction)

• व्यवस्थितौ: are positioned
• व्यवस्थितौ: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; 'स्थितौ' इत्यर्थः (standing/placed)

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) speaking to Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Immediately after death / during antyeṣṭi preparations

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Antyeṣṭi details are purposeful: body placement, mouth-offerings, darbha arrangement, and south-facing feet encode dharma of passage and aid the departed.

Vedantic Theme: Saṁskāra as purifier and as social-spiritual duty; while the Self is untouched, rites address the subtle journey and the living’s obligations (ṛṇa to pitṛs).

Application: Perform last rites with care and understanding; treat death rituals as disciplined compassion and responsibility, not mere custom.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: directional/ritual orientation

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: subsequent explanations of bier (kaukṣa/śayyā), pañcaratna/pañcadravya, darbha usage, and dakṣiṇāyana orientation in funerary procedure

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu
• Preta
• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of placing the body facing the southern (Yama) direction in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the practice as a deliberate ritual orientation toward Yama’s realm, signaling the funeral context and the departed’s transition into the post-death journey governed by Yama’s order.

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

By asking about the bier, the five precious items in the mouth, darbha placement, and the southward feet, the verse introduces the technical preparations traditionally linked with the preta’s onward passage and the rites that support that transition.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages careful, respectful performance of last rites (or consultation with qualified priests/elders) and reminds practitioners that ritual details in antyeṣṭi are meant to be intentional acts of dharma rather than mere custom.