Shloka 84
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / म्रियमाणस्य किं कृत्यमिति त्वं पृष्टवानसि / शृणु तत्रोत्तरं तूक्तं कथयामि समासतः
śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / mriyamāṇasya kiṃ kṛtyamiti tvaṃ pṛṣṭavānasi / śṛṇu tatrottaraṃ tūktaṃ kathayāmi samāsataḥ
ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണൻ പറഞ്ഞു—‘മരണാസന്നനായവനു എന്ത് ചെയ്യണം?’ എന്നു നീ ചോദിച്ചു. കേൾക്കുക; അതിന്റെ ഉത്തരം ഞാൻ സംക്ഷേപമായി പറയുന്നു.
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.