Shloka 15

Preta-lakṣaṇa and Svapna-nimitta: Dream Portents of Preta-affliction and the Prescribed Remedies

Devanagari script

एतद्धि श्रद्धया यस्तु प्रेतलिङ्गनिदर्शनम् / पठते शृणुते वापि प्रेतचिह्नं विनश्यति

Transliteration

etaddhi śraddhayā yastu pretaliṅganidarśanam / paṭhate śṛṇute vāpi pretacihnaṃ vinaśyati

Translation

En verdad, quien con fe lee—o incluso escucha—esta descripción de las señales de un preta, quedan destruidas las marcas del estado de preta.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

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

• प्रेतलिङ्गनिदर्शनम्: the description/indication of the signs of a preta
• प्रेतलिङ्गनिदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + लिङ्ग + निदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य लिङ्गस्य निदर्शनम्)

• पठते: reads
• पठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणुते: hears, listens
• शृणुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अपि=also/even

• प्रेतचिह्नम्: the sign(s) of a preta
• प्रेतचिह्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य चिह्नम्)

• विनश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• विनश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: वि-

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śraddhā-yukta śravaṇa/pāṭha of dhārmika teaching has apotropaic power, dissolving preta-state markers.

Vedantic Theme: Śabda-pramāṇa and saṃskāra-śuddhi: transformative efficacy of sacred sound when received with faith.

Application: Regularly listen to/recite the relevant section with faith, especially when fearful of inauspicious signs; cultivate śraddhā and sattva through disciplined hearing.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: sections on preta-lakṣaṇa and their nivṛtti (contextual continuity into 2.24)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of describing preta-signs (preta-liṅga) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that faithful reading or hearing of the preta-sign description itself has a purificatory effect, destroying the marks of the preta-state.

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

It implies that the post-death condition (preta-bhāva) can be influenced by dharmic means such as śravaṇa (hearing) and pāṭha (recitation), which help remove harmful post-death indicators.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform sincere recitation or attentive listening of relevant Garuda Purana passages during bereavement/śrāddha contexts, cultivating faith and ethical living to support auspicious post-death transitions.