Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 84
An exposition on the fruits of charity and on entry into a body
Garbhotpatti, Piṇḍa-śarīra, and Antya-kāla-kriyā
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / म्रियमाणस्य किं कृत्यमिति त्वं पृष्टवानसि / शृणु तत्रोत्तरं तूक्तं कथयामि समासतः
śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / mriyamāṇasya kiṃ kṛtyamiti tvaṃ pṛṣṭavānasi / śṛṇu tatrottaraṃ tūktaṃ kathayāmi samāsataḥ
श्रीकृष्ण बोले—तुमने पूछा है, ‘जो प्राण त्यागने को हो, उसके लिए क्या करना चाहिए?’ सुनो, उसका उत्तर मैं संक्षेप में कहता हूँ।
Śrī Kṛṣṇa (as narrator/teacher in the Garuḍa Purāṇa dialogue)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Antya-kāla kartavya: prescribed duties for one who is near death; dharma as compassionate order in liminal time.
Vedantic Theme: Smaraṇa and right orientation at life’s end support the mind’s final saṃskāra; dharma prepares the inner journey.
Application: When death is imminent, prioritize calm, purity, and correct rites; seek concise, actionable steps rather than speculation.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: dialogue-setting
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.85–87 (specific preparatory acts: bathing, darbha, tila, gomaya)
FAQs
This verse introduces a focused teaching on what should be done when death is near, framing it as a dharmic, practical set of instructions to be given succinctly.
It serves as a preface: the speaker signals that the forthcoming answer concerns the critical transition at death, which in the Preta Kāṇḍa is tied to post-death rites and the soul’s onward journey.
Ask and learn the essential end-of-life duties in advance—so that, when the time comes, one can follow a clear, dharmic plan rather than acting in confusion.