Shloka 52

Svapnādhāya (Dream-Chapter): Causes, Forms, Nourishment, and Liberation of Pretas

Devanagari script

प्रेता ऊचुः / यदि ते श्रवणे श्रद्धा आहाराणां द्विजोत्तम / अस्माकं तु महीभाग शृणुत्वं सुसमाहितः

Transliteration

pretā ūcuḥ / yadi te śravaṇe śraddhā āhārāṇāṃ dvijottama / asmākaṃ tu mahībhāga śṛṇutvaṃ susamāhitaḥ

Translation

The Pretas said: “O best of the twice-born, if you have faith in hearing about the food-offerings, then, O noble one, listen to our account with a fully collected mind.”

Word by Word

• प्रेताः: the pretas
• प्रेताः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) एकवचन; 'your'

• श्रवणे: in hearing/listening
• श्रवणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आहाराणाम्: of foods; of diet
• आहाराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तम: O best brāhmaṇa
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: द्विजः उत्तमः (best of the twice-born)

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-अव्यय (but/however)

• महीभाग: O fortunate one
• महीभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: मह्याः भागः (fortunate one; portion of the earth)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Imperative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• सुसमाहितः: well-attentive; fully composed
• सुसमाहितः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण: सु- (well) + समाहित (composed/attentive)

Speaker

Pretas (departed spirits)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śraddhā and samāhita-citta (collected mind) are prerequisites for receiving ritual truth; offerings to departed have principled order.

Vedantic Theme: Antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi: mental composure enables right grasp of dharma; śraddhā as a sattvic power supporting knowledge and right action.

Application: Before performing/learning rites, cultivate attention and sincerity; treat śrāddha knowledge as disciplined practice, not mere custom.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: śrāddha chapters emphasizing श्रद्धा and मनःसमाधान for efficacy; Pretakalpa: preta satisfaction through offerings described after such dialogic openings

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Dvija (Brahmana)

FAQs

What is the importance of faith (śraddhā) in Garuda Purana death rituals?

This verse frames śraddhā as the prerequisite for properly receiving teachings about āhāra (offerings) for the departed—implying that ritual knowledge and its benefits are grasped and applied rightly only with sincere faith and attentive listening.

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

By placing the Pretas as speakers, it signals a first-person testimony of the post-death condition and introduces instruction on how offerings reach and support them—setting the narrative context for the preta’s dependence on prescribed rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach śrāddha/pinda-dāna and related teachings with focused attention and sincerity—study the procedure from reliable sources and perform rites mindfully rather than mechanically.