Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

पर्युषित उवाच / कदाचिच्छ्राद्धकाले वै मया विप्रो निमन्त्रितः

Transliteration

paryuṣita uvāca / kadācicchrāddhakāle vai mayā vipro nimantritaḥ

Translation

Paryuṣita dit : «Un jour, au temps du rite de śrāddha, j’invitai un brāhmane.»

Word by Word

• पर्युषितः: Paryuṣita (name)
• पर्युषितः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्युषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (speaker name)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• कदाचित्: once/sometime
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• श्राद्धकाले: at the time of śrāddha
• श्राद्धकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-करण), एकवचन; Instrumental, Singular

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निमन्त्रितः: was invited
• निमन्त्रितः: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मन्त्र् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Paryuṣita

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Śrāddha-kāla (appointed time for ancestral rite)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha is time-bound and duty-bound; inviting a brāhmaṇa is part of sustaining pitṛ-yajña and social-sacral order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as purifier of antaḥkaraṇa; neglect or distortion of duty binds one to saṃsāra through karma.

Application: Perform śrāddha with punctuality and proper hospitality; treat invited guests as representatives of sacred obligation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: household

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Śrāddha sections: importance of proper invitation (nimantraṇa), timing, and honoring brāhmaṇas

Characters & Entities

• Brahmana
• Shraddha

FAQs

What is the importance of śrāddha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames śrāddha as a formal, time-bound ancestral rite that begins with properly inviting a qualified brāhmaṇa, indicating that correct procedure is foundational to pitṛ-related duties.

How does this verse connect to the soul’s journey after death in the Preta Kanda?

In the Preta Kanda context, śrāddha is part of post-death support rites; the narrative begins by describing the correct setup (inviting the brāhmaṇa), which precedes offerings meant to benefit the departed in the after-death passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If performing śrāddha, observe proper timing and invite a suitable officiant with respect and clarity of intention, treating the rite as a disciplined duty rather than a casual formality.