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Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

ये केचित्पेतरूपा विकृतमुखदृशो रौद्ररूपाः कराला मन्यन्ते नैव गोत्रं सुतदुहितृपितॄन् भ्रातृजायां वधूं वा / कृत्वा काम्यं च रूपं सुखगतिरहिता भाषमाणा यथेष्टं हा कष्टं भोक्तुकामा विधिवशपतिताः संस्मरन्ति स्वपाकम्

Transliteration

ye kecitpetarūpā vikṛtamukhadṛśo raudrarūpāḥ karālā manyante naiva gotraṃ sutaduhitṛpitṝn bhrātṛjāyāṃ vadhūṃ vā / kṛtvā kāmyaṃ ca rūpaṃ sukhagatirahitā bhāṣamāṇā yatheṣṭaṃ hā kaṣṭaṃ bhoktukāmā vidhivaśapatitāḥ saṃsmaranti svapākam

Translation

Some beings take on preta-forms—faces distorted, dreadful to behold, fierce and terrifying. They recognize neither their lineage nor their sons and daughters, nor their ancestors (pitṛs), nor a brother’s wife, nor even their own bride. Though they may assume whatever form they wish and speak as they please, they are bereft of any happy state; driven by destiny’s compulsion and yearning to taste the fruit of karma, they cry out in anguish and remember the ripening of their own deeds.

Word by Word
येthose who
ये:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
केचित्some
केचित्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)
प्रेतरूपाःpreta-formed
प्रेतरूपाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (having preta-like form)
विकृतमुखदृशःwith distorted faces/appearance
विकृतमुखदृशः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootविकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + दृश्/दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (with distorted faces/looks)
रौद्ररूपाःterrible-formed
रौद्ररूपाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootरौद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय
करालाःhideous, frightful
करालाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootकराल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन
मन्यन्तेthink/recognize
मन्यन्ते:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootमन् (धातु)
Formलट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
नnot
न:
Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध-निपात
एवat all/indeed
एव:
Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण-निपात
गोत्रम्clan, lineage
गोत्रम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
सुतदुहितृपितॄन्sons, daughters, and ancestors
सुतदुहितृपितॄन्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसुत (प्रातिपदिक) + दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (sons, daughters, and fathers/ancestors)
भ्रातृजायाम्brother's wife
भ्रातृजायाम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + जाया (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (brother's wife)
वधूम्bride/daughter-in-law
वधूम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवधू (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Vikalpa (विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle)
कृत्वाhaving made/assumed
कृत्वा:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया
काम्यम्desired
काम्यम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाम्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कम् धातोः यत्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (desired)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात
रूपम्form
रूपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
सुखगतिरहिताःdeprived of happy passage/destination
सुखगतिरहिताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसुख (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (devoid of happy course/destination)
भाषमाणाःspeaking
भाषमाणाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootभाष् (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन
यथेष्टम्as they wish, at will
यथेष्टम्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय) + इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)
हाalas!
हा:
Bhāva (भाव/उद्गार)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विस्मय/शोक-उद्गार (interjection)
कष्टम्misery, hardship
कष्टम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
भोक्तुकामाःdesiring to consume/undergo
भोक्तुकामाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootभुज् (धातु) + तुमुन् (infinitive) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (desirous to eat/experience)
विधिवशपतिताःfallen under fate's control
विधिवशपतिताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootविधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक) + पतित (प्रातिपदिक; √पत् क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (fallen under the control of fate/ordinance)
संस्मरन्तिremember, recall
संस्मरन्ति:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-स्मृ (धातु)
Formलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
स्वपाकम्their own consequence/torment
स्वपाकम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (one's own cooking/torment; own consequence)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In preta-state, identity and relational memory collapse; despite limited powers (shape/speech), there is no sukha—beings are driven by fate and compelled to experience karmic fruition.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as niyati-like compulsion within saṃsāra; suffering rooted in past action and ignorance of true Self.

Application: Cultivate dharma now and ensure proper rites; reflect on consequences of actions to reduce harmful karma and support a peaceful transition after death.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: intermediate realm of disembodied beings

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: detailed preta descriptions, preta-bādha, and karmic compulsion motifs in nearby chapters; Garuda Purana: naraka descriptions where beings remember their deeds (thematic overlap)

Characters & Entities
P
Pretas
P
Pitris

FAQs

This verse highlights the preta condition as a painful, disoriented post-death state where one loses normal identity and relationships, yet must undergo the ripening of one’s own karma.

It depicts a transitional existence where the being can appear in various forms and speak, but lacks true well-being and is driven by destiny to experience karmic results—showing that post-death experience is governed by karma rather than personal control.

Live ethically to reduce harmful karmic consequences, and perform prescribed śrāddha/pinda-dāna with sincerity for ancestors—supporting remembrance, stability, and auspicious passage in the post-death journey as taught in the Garuda Purana.

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