Shloka 76

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

Devanagari script

पञ्च देवविमानानि प्रेतानामागतानि वै / स्वर्गं गता विमानैस्ते दिव्यैः संपृच्छ्य तं मुनिम्

Transliteration

pañca devavimānāni pretānāmāgatāni vai / svargaṃ gatā vimānaiste divyaiḥ saṃpṛcchya taṃ munim

Translation

Indeed, five divine aerial chariots arrived for those departed spirits. Ascending to heaven in those radiant vimānas, they then questioned that sage.

Word by Word

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (cardinal numeral, indeclinable)

• देव: divine/god
• देव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (as compound member)

• विमानानि: divine aerial cars
• विमानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; देवविमानानि = तत्पुरुष (देवानां विमानानि / देवसम्बन्धीनि)

• प्रेतानाम्: of the pretas
• प्रेतानाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• आगतानि: arrived
• आगतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विमानानि इति विशेषणम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Connection/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गताः: gone
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त → गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ते इति विशेषणम्

• विमानैः: by/with the aerial cars
• विमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विमानैः इति विशेषणम्

• संपृच्छ्य: having asked
• संपृच्छ्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-प्रच्छ् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having asked)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुनिम्: sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Departed spirits can be elevated to svarga through accrued merit and right association, symbolized by divine vimānas.

Vedantic Theme: Gati follows karma and saṅga; higher lokas are still within saṃsāra but reflect sattvic fruition.

Application: Seek satsanga and śāstra-listening; perform merit-bearing acts that support uplift of self and others.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic-route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: accounts of preta uplift through instruction/merit and subsequent higher gati; Garuda Purana: svarga descriptions and loka-journeys (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Deva-vimanas
• Svarga
• Muni (sage)

FAQs

What is the importance of divine vimānas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses “devavimāna” as a sign of elevated post-death attainment—an auspicious conveyance indicating a meritorious destination such as Svarga for certain departed souls.

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

It depicts a transition in which pretas are received by divine vehicles and carried upward to Svarga, suggesting that the after-death journey can culminate in heavenly ascent based on prior karma and rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically and support ancestral rites (śrāddha, dāna) with sincerity—Garuda Purana frames such conduct as shaping the soul’s post-death trajectory toward higher realms.