Shloka 15
Vow-Fasting (Anaśana), Sannyāsa, Tīrtha-Death, and the Ethics of Dāna
व्रतं निरशन कृत्वा स्वगृहे ऽपि मृतो यदि / स्वकुलानि परित्यज्य एकाकी विचरेद्दिवि
vrataṃ niraśana kṛtvā svagṛhe 'pi mṛto yadi / svakulāni parityajya ekākī vicareddivi
જો કોઈ અનશન-વ્રત કરીને પોતાના ઘરમાં જ મૃત્યુ પામે, તો તે પોતાના કુલબંધનો ત્યજી પરલોકમાં એકલો વિહરે છે।
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Dying after undertaking nir-āśana-vrata may result in solitary post-mortem wandering, detached from one’s kula-lines.
Vedantic Theme: Asakti (detachment) can manifest as radical aloneness; warns that ritual/austerity without proper completion/context may yield ambiguous gati.
Application: Undertake vows with guidance, clarity of intent, and appropriate completion/transition rites; balance austerity with devotion and right understanding.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: domestic space
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: nuanced fruits of vrata and death-context; some acts yield intermediate states rather than immediate liberation
FAQs
This verse warns that a vow like fasting must be undertaken with proper intent and completion; otherwise, its karmic outcome can be isolation and instability in the post-death state.
It depicts a post-death condition where the deceased becomes separated from familial support and lineage ties, moving through the other world alone—an image of a precarious preta-like wandering.
Undertake religious vows responsibly—avoid extreme or careless observances, follow tradition/health constraints, and complete or formally conclude vows rather than leaving them unresolved.