Shloka 55
Svapnādhāya (Dream-Chapter): Causes, Forms, Nourishment, and Liberation of Pretas
श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषोत्थं शरीराणां मलैः सह / उच्छिष्टैश्चैव चान्यैश्च प्रेतानां भोजनं भवेत्
śleṣmamūtrapurīṣotthaṃ śarīrāṇāṃ malaiḥ saha / ucchiṣṭaiścaiva cānyaiśca pretānāṃ bhojanaṃ bhavet
For pretas, their food becomes that which arises from phlegm, urine, and feces—together with the body’s filth—along with leftovers and other such impure remnants.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Adharma and neglected rites yield a preta condition where sustenance is impure remnants; the subtle body experiences corresponding gross disgust.
Vedantic Theme: The jīva’s experience follows vāsanā and karma; bondage expresses as compelled contact with the impure until purification through dharma/rites.
Application: Maintain śauca in food, body, and home; perform śrāddha/pinda-dāna so the departed are not driven to such sustenance.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta hunger and dependence on offerings; descriptions of aśuci remnants as preta sustenance; Garuda Purana: śrāddha chapters prescribing pure food, mantra, and intention
FAQs
It highlights the degraded condition of the departed in the preta state and underscores why śrāddha and pinda-dāna are prescribed—to provide pure, supportive sustenance instead of impure remnants.
It reflects the intermediate preta condition where the being experiences hardship and dependence; without proper rites and merit, its sustenance is described as impure and distressing, indicating a troubled post-death journey.
Perform ancestral rites with sincerity (as per one’s tradition), cultivate purity in conduct and food, and live ethically—so one’s post-death transition is supported by dharma rather than marked by deprivation.