Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

पीडयन्ति ज्वरीभूय एकान्तरमिषेण तु / तृतीयकज्वरा भूत्वा शीतवातादिपीडया

Transliteration

pīḍayanti jvarībhūya ekāntaramiṣeṇa tu / tṛtīyakajvarā bhūtvā śītavātādipīḍayā

Translation

They torment him by becoming fevers—first as an intermittent fever on alternate days, then as a tertian fever—afflicting him with chills, wind-disorders (vāta), and like agonies.

Word by Word

• पीडयन्ति: they afflict/torment
• पीडयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ज्वरीभूय: having become feverish
• ज्वरीभूय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्वरिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘ज्वरी’ (as feverish) + ‘भूय’ = having become feverish

• एकान्तरम्: (as) an intermittent/alternate-day (fever)
• एकान्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकान्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘एकान्तर’ = occurring on alternate days

• इषेण: by the pretext/guise
• इषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); ‘इष’ = pretext/guise

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• तृतीयकज्वराः: tertian fevers
• तृतीयकज्वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीयक (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); समास: तृतीयकः ज्वरः = तृतीयकज्वरः (tertian fever)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• शीतवातादिपीडया: by the affliction of cold, wind, etc.
• शीतवातादिपीडया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वात (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); समास: शीतवातादीनां पीडा = शीतवातादिपीडा

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmaphala manifests as experiential suffering; specific torments arise as consequences of vikarma and impurity-associated conduct.

Vedantic Theme: Adhyasa of embodiment persists after death until karmic exhaustion; suffering arises in the subtle condition due to vasanas and papa.

Application: Cultivate purity and dharmic conduct; avoid actions leading to preta-state; perform expiations and devotion to reduce papa and fear of afterlife suffering.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of preta torments via hunger, thirst, disease, and impurity-contact motifs (adjacent passages in 2.20 and surrounding chapters); Garuda Purana: Yama’s messengers inflicting disease-like pains as karmic instruments (general Pretakalpa theme)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of fever imagery in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses technical disease-forms (intermittent and tertian fevers) to portray karmic torment in the preta condition, showing how suffering can manifest as bodily-like afflictions even beyond ordinary life.

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

It implies the departed experiences punishments as tangible sensations—like chills and vāta disorders—indicating the soul’s journey includes experiential consequences shaped by karma before reaching further judgment or release.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and ethical discipline to reduce harmful karmic residues, and support proper death-rites (śrāddha/pinda-related duties where appropriate) with sincerity, remembering actions can return as intense suffering.