Shloka 20
रामायणकथासंक्षेपः — ब्रह्मोक्तो रामावतारवृत्तान्तः
म्रियमाणः स च प्राह हा सीते ! लक्ष्मणोति च / सीतोक्तो लक्ष्मणो ऽथागाद्रामश्चानुददर्श तम्
mriyamāṇaḥ sa ca prāha hā sīte ! lakṣmaṇoti ca / sītokto lakṣmaṇo 'thāgādrāmaścānudadarśa tam
മരിക്കുമ്പോൾ അവൻ ‘ഹാ സീതേ! ലക്ഷ്മണാ!’ എന്നു നിലവിളിച്ചു. സീതയുടെ വാക്കാൽ ലക്ഷ്മണൻ പോയി; രാമനും പിന്നാലെ ചെന്നു അവനെ കണ്ടു.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Garuḍa Purāṇa; not a direct Vishnu–Garuḍa utterance in this verse)
Concept: Words can be weaponized; impulsive reaction to fear can unravel protection and invite calamity.
Vedantic Theme: Manas under duḥkha-bhrānti (error born of distress); lack of steadiness (dhairya) increases saṃsāric suffering.
Application: In crises, verify signals before acting; maintain composure and protocols to prevent manipulation.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: forest path / liminal corridor
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.143.19 (Mārīca’s deer-form deception); Garuda Purana 1.143 (implied continuation to Sītā-haraṇa)
FAQs
This verse shows the dying person instinctively calling Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, highlighting how attachment and the mind’s final movements arise naturally at death—an important context for Garuḍa Purāṇa’s wider teachings on preparing consciousness and performing post-death rites.
Indirectly: it depicts the final moment of embodied life—speech, fear, and calling out—setting the narrative stage for what follows in Preta-kāṇḍa discussions about the subtle transition after death and the need for proper observances by the living.
Cultivate steadiness of mind and spiritual remembrance before old age or illness; support the dying with calm presence and dhārmic practices rather than panic, since the mind tends to cling to familiar bonds at the end.