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Shloka 61

Babhruvāhana Meets a Preta: Vṛṣotsarga, Heirless Death, and the Signs of Preta-Affliction

Devanagari script

नैव लभ्येत नश्येतः सा पीडा प्रेतसंमवा / सुवृष्टौ कृषिनाशः स्याद्वाणिज्याद्वृत्तिनाशनम्

Transliteration

naiva labhyeta naśyetaḥ sā pīḍā pretasaṃmavā / suvṛṣṭau kṛṣināśaḥ syādvāṇijyādvṛttināśanam

Translation

Ce tourment né de la condition de preta ne s'en va pas et ne peut être réparé. Même lorsque les pluies sont abondantes, les récoltes peuvent être ruinées ; et par le commerce également, les moyens de subsistance peuvent être détruits.

Word by Word
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निषेध) = not
एवindeed
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (अवधारण) = indeed/just
लभ्येतwould be obtained
लभ्येत:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootलभ् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense) = ‘would be obtained’
नश्येतwould perish
नश्येत:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनश् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद/आत्मनेपद-प्रयोगभेद; = ‘would perish’
साthat
सा:
Visheshya (Correlative/विशेष्य)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
पीडाaffliction
पीडा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
प्रेत-संमवाpreta-born
प्रेत-संमवा:
Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पाठभ्रंश: ‘संमवा’ likely for ‘सम्भवा’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष
सु-वृष्टौin good rainfall
सु-वृष्टौ:
Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘good rainfall’
कृषि-नाशःcrop failure
कृषि-नाशः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकृषि (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष = ‘destruction of agriculture’
स्यात्may be
स्यात्:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
वाणिज्यात्from trade
वाणिज्यात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootवाणिज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान = ‘from trade’
वृत्ति-नाशनम्loss of livelihood
वृत्ति-नाशनम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष = ‘destruction of livelihood’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When preta-doṣa persists, ordinary remedies fail; even favorable conditions (good rain) may not yield results—karma can obstruct outcomes.

Vedantic Theme: Phala-vyāpti is not guaranteed by apparent causes; unseen adṛṣṭa (karmic) factors condition results in saṃsāra.

Application: Do not assume external conditions ensure success; strengthen dharma (truth, charity, rites for departed), diversify livelihood, and cultivate equanimity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: agrarian landscape/marketplace

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.9.59–63 (preta-upadrava sequence)

Characters & Entities
P
Pretas

FAQs

This verse stresses that suffering connected with a preta-condition is persistent and hard to neutralize, indicating why proper post-death rites and dharmic conduct are emphasized in the Preta Kanda.

It links preta-born torment with tangible disruption in worldly stability—showing that even favorable conditions (like good rainfall) may not prevent loss, and livelihoods (agriculture and trade) can still collapse.

Treat death-related duties seriously—perform appropriate rites with sincerity, maintain ethical living, and address persistent distress with disciplined dharma rather than assuming external prosperity alone will remove suffering.

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