Shloka 3

Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence

Devanagari script

विप्रः सन्तप्तकः कश्चित् तपसादग्धकिल्बिषः / संसारासारतां ज्ञात्वारण्यष्वेव चचार ह

Transliteration

vipraḥ santaptakaḥ kaścit tapasādagdhakilbiṣaḥ / saṃsārāsāratāṃ jñātvāraṇyaṣveva cacāra ha

Translation

Había un brāhmaṇa llamado Santaptaka, cuyos pecados habían sido consumidos por la austeridad. Al conocer la vacuidad del saṃsāra, vagaba únicamente por los bosques.

Word by Word

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• santaptakaḥ: Santaptaka
• santaptakaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: santaptaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम

• kaścit: a certain
• kaścit: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaścid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite)

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• dagdha-kilbiṣaḥ: whose sins were burnt (away)
• dagdha-kilbiṣaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dagdha (दह्-धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + kilbiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दग्धं किल्बिषं यस्य/दग्धकिल्बिषः) विशेषण (विप्रः)

• saṃsāra-asāratām: the worthlessness of worldly existence
• saṃsāra-asāratām: Karma (Object of knowing/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + asāratā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य असारता)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य

• araṇyeṣu: in forests
• araṇyeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/restriction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• cacāra: wandered
• cacāra: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ha: indeed
• ha: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tapas can burn impurities; insight into saṃsāra’s asāratā (insubstantiality) generates vairāgya and a turn toward liberation-oriented life.

Vedantic Theme: Viveka-vairāgya: discernment of the transient; citta-śuddhi through tapas; movement toward mumukṣutva.

Application: Practice disciplined restraint (tapas) and periodic retreat; reflect on impermanence to reduce compulsive attachment and reorient priorities toward inner freedom.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: wilderness/ascetic retreat

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana narratives praising tapas and dispassion as purifiers; Santaptaka episode continuation (to describe his condition and its causes)

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Santaptaka

FAQs

What is the importance of tapas (austerity) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents tapas as a purifier that “burns” sins (kilbiṣa), enabling clarity about saṃsāra’s emptiness and supporting a life oriented toward liberation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By stressing purification and detachment, it implies that reducing karmic burden and loosening worldly attachment are key preparations for the post-death journey described in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate disciplined restraint (simple living, vows, ethical conduct) and reflect on impermanence—so actions reduce karmic harm and strengthen spiritual focus.