Shloka 19

Entry into Yama’s Abode; Nature, Causes, and Signs of the Preta-State

Devanagari script

एको दुष्कृतकर्मा च एकः सन्ततिमाञ्जनः / एकः सम्पीड्यते प्रेतैरेकः सुतधनान्वितः

Transliteration

eko duṣkṛtakarmā ca ekaḥ santatimāñjanaḥ / ekaḥ sampīḍyate pretairekaḥ sutadhanānvitaḥ

Translation

One person performs sinful deeds; another is blessed with progeny. One is tormented by pretas (restless spirits), while another is endowed with sons and wealth.

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• duṣkṛta-karmā: one whose deeds are evil
• duṣkṛta-karmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (duṣkṛtaṃ karma yasya/duṣkṛta-karmā)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• santatimān: having progeny
• santatimān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: santati (प्रातिपदिक) + matup (मत्वर्थ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मत्वर्थ (possessive)

• janaḥ: person
• janaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sampīḍyate: is afflicted/pressed
• sampīḍyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√pīḍ (पीड्)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• pretaiḥ: by spirits/pretas
• pretaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• suta-dhana-anvitaḥ: endowed with sons and wealth
• suta-dhana-anvitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (√i + ni, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); तत्पुरुष-समास (suta-dhana)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Unequal life outcomes (sin, progeny, wealth, torment) arise from unseen causal forces—karma and preta-doṣa—manifesting as suffering or prosperity.

Vedantic Theme: Adṛṣṭa-phala (unseen karmic result) shaping prārabdha; saṃsāra marked by duḥkha and contingency.

Application: Self-audit of conduct, seek remedial rites/ethical correction when persistent misfortune or disturbances appear; cultivate dharmic living to avoid papa and its sequelae.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Pretakalpa: preta-lakṣaṇa and preta-doṣa symptom lists (adjacent verses 2.20.20-23)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of karma in Garuda Purana according to this verse?

It highlights that beings experience markedly different outcomes—suffering or well-being—based on karmic causes, seen here as sin leading to distress and other merits correlating with family continuity and prosperity.

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

It indicates that after death some become vulnerable to preta-related torment, suggesting an unsettled post-death condition, while others experience comparatively auspicious circumstances, reflecting divergent karmic trajectories.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate ethical conduct and avoid harmful actions; support dharmic living and family responsibilities, and when death occurs, follow appropriate śrāddha/antyeṣṭi practices to reduce unrest associated with preta states.