Shloka 15

Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence

Devanagari script

स तत्र वटवृक्षाग्रे स्नायुवद्धं शवं तथा / ददर्श तद्भुजश्चैव पञ्च प्रेतान् सुदारुणाम्

Transliteration

sa tatra vaṭavṛkṣāgre snāyuvaddhaṃ śavaṃ tathā / dadarśa tadbhujaścaiva pañca pretān sudāruṇām

Translation

അവിടെ വടവൃക്ഷത്തിന്റെ മുകളിൽ നാഡികളാൽ കെട്ടിപ്പിണഞ്ഞ ഒരു ശവം അവൻ കണ്ടു; അതിന്റെ സമീപത്ത് അഞ്ചു അതിഭീകര പ്രേതങ്ങളെയും ദർശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वटवृक्षाग्रे: at the top of the banyan tree
• वटवृक्षाग्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटवृक्ष + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘वटवृक्षस्य अग्रे’), अधिकरण

• स्नायुवद्धम्: bound with sinews
• स्नायुवद्धम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नायु + बद्ध (कृदन्त; √बन्ध् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘स्नायुभिः बद्धम्’), विशेषण (शवम्)

• शवम्: a corpse
• शवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/also)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तद्भुजः: he (whose arms were ...) / the one with those arms
• तद्भुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘तस्य भुजः’/‘तद्भुजः’), कर्तृपद (सः केनचित् विशेषणेन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/just)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (प्रेतान्)

• प्रेतान्: ghosts/spirits
• प्रेतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म

• सुदारुणाम्: very dreadful
• सुदारुणाम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण (प्रेतान्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in Preta Kanda context)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Attachment, violence, or improper rites can tether beings to corpse-sites; preta-company signals unresolved karmic residue and ritual deficiency.

Vedantic Theme: Bandha (bondage) to gross remnants (śava) versus the need to transcend identification; tamasic entanglement.

Application: Perform proper antyeṣṭi and śrāddha; avoid cruelty and adharmic acts that generate preta-bhāva; cultivate purity and remembrance of Hari.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: tree-shrine/cremation-ground tree (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta-lakṣaṇa and corpse-associated hauntings (general motif); Garuda Purana: śrāddha-importance passages that prevent preta-state (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of the 'preta' theme in Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid imagery—corpse and terrifying pretas—to signal the unsettled post-death condition (preta-state), emphasizing the need for proper rites and dharmic living to avoid distress after death.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By showing pretas near a bound corpse, the text indicates a transitional, troubling phase associated with death and its aftermath, pointing to the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching that the departed may face fear and constraint when rites, merit, or inner purification are lacking.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain ethical conduct (dharma) and, when a death occurs, perform appropriate śrāddha/antyeṣṭi-related duties with care—supporting the departed’s peaceful transition and reminding the living to cultivate merit and restraint.