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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 75

The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths

Devanagari script

कौशिको मित्रहन्ता च क्षयी पित्रादिनिन्दकः / स्खलद्वागनृतवादी कूटसाक्षी जलोदरी

Transliteration

kauśiko mitrahantā ca kṣayī pitrādinindakaḥ / skhaladvāganṛtavādī kūṭasākṣī jalodarī

Translation

बगुले-सा दम्भी, मित्रघाती, क्षय-रोगी, पितरों और देवों का निंदक; लड़खड़ाती वाणी वाला, असत्य बोलने वाला, झूठी गवाही देने वाला और जलोदर से पीड़ित—ये सब यहाँ पापी प्रकार गिने गए हैं।

Word by Word
कौशिकः(becomes) an owl (kauśika)
कौशिकः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; जातिवाचक-नाम
मित्रहन्ताfriend-killer
मित्रहन्ता:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootमित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृन्त-कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
क्षयीa consumptive (one with wasting disease)
क्षयी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक
पित्रादिनिन्दकःone who reviles father and others
पित्रादिनिन्दकः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + निन्दक (प्रातिपदिक; √निन्द् धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (those like father etc. as object of blame)
स्खलद्वाक्one with faltering speech (stammerer)
स्खलद्वाक्:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootस्खलत् (कृदन्त; √स्खल् धातु, शतृ) + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण-समास (stammering speech)
अनृतवादीspeaker of untruth
अनृतवादी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअनृत (प्रातिपदिक) + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √वद् धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (speaker of falsehood)
कूटसाक्षीfalse witness
कूटसाक्षी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकूट (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; साक्षि-शब्द
जलोदरीone with water-belly (dropsical)
जलोदरी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootजल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उदरिन्-शब्द (one having belly)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific sins (droha, pitṛ-nindā, anṛta, kūṭa-sākṣya) generate concrete karmic demerit and future suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Adharma veils sattva and binds the jīva to saṃsāra through pāpa; speech (vāk) as a karmic instrument.

Application: Guard truthfulness in speech and testimony; avoid betrayal; maintain reverence toward pitṛs and elders; treat illness/decline as occasions for dharmic correction, not further wrongdoing.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (karma-vipāka lists of pāpa and corresponding rebirths/afflictions)

Characters & Entities
P
Pitris

FAQs

This verse explicitly groups the liar (anṛtavādī) and the false witness (kūṭasākṣī) among grave moral offenders, highlighting truth as a core dharmic duty with direct karmic consequences.

In the Preta Kanda’s framework, such named sins become causes for suffering in Yama’s domain; the verse functions as part of the moral inventory that determines post-death experience and retribution.

Avoid hypocrisy, protect friendships, do not malign ancestors/elders, and never lie—especially in legal or testimonial contexts—since speech-based harm is treated as a serious karmic fault.

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