Shloka 90
Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence
प्रेता ऊचुः / वेदमार्गानुसरणं लज्जा धर्मो दमः क्षमा / धृतिर्ज्ञानं नैव यत्र वयं तत्र वसामहे
pretā ūcuḥ / vedamārgānusaraṇaṃ lajjā dharmo damaḥ kṣamā / dhṛtirjñānaṃ naiva yatra vayaṃ tatra vasāmahe
ປເຣຕທັງຫຼາຍກ່າວວ່າ: «ບ່ອນໃດບໍ່ດຳເນີນຕາມທາງແຫ່ງເວດ, ບໍ່ມີຄວາມລະອາຍ, ບໍ່ມີທຳມະ, ບໍ່ມີການຂົ່ມໃຈ, ບໍ່ມີການອະໄພ, ບໍ່ມີຄວາມອົດທົນມັ່ນຄົງ, ແລະບໍ່ມີປັນຍາແທ້—ທີ່ນັ້ນແຫຼະ ພວກເຮົາອາໄສຢູ່»។
Pretas (departed spirits)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Preta-affliction is associated with the absence of Vedic conduct and core virtues (lज्जा, धर्म, दम, क्षमा, धृति, ज्ञान).
Vedantic Theme: Sattva vs tamas: loss of sattvic virtues invites tamasic suffering and disorder; knowledge and restraint protect the mind-field.
Application: Cultivate modesty, self-control, forgiveness, steadiness, and scriptural alignment; maintain a sattvic household routine.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: dwelling/settlement
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: lists of dharmic qualities and causes of preta-doṣa (contextual parallel)
FAQs
This verse states that pretas “dwell” where Vedic conduct is absent, implying that adherence to Vedic ethics and discipline protects one from falling into preta-like conditions associated with spiritual and moral darkness.
It portrays pretas as gravitating to places (and by extension, lives) lacking shame/modesty, dharma, self-control, forgiveness, steadfastness, and true knowledge—i.e., environments of ethical collapse.
Cultivate restraint (dama), forgiveness (kṣamā), steady character (dhṛti), and discernment (jñāna), and live by dharma—creating a life and home environment aligned with the “Vedic path” rather than moral negligence.