Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

वने तु विजने तत्र पापाध्वगगतिं गतः / तस्याः सवस्त्रं पाथेयं तत्सूनोर्वसनानि च

Transliteration

vane tu vijane tatra pāpādhvagagatiṃ gataḥ / tasyāḥ savastraṃ pātheyaṃ tatsūnorvasanāni ca

Translation

ആ വിജനമായ കാട്ടിൽ, പാപത്തിന്റെ വഴിയിലൂടെ സഞ്ചരിച്ച ഞാൻ, അവളുടെ വസ്ത്രങ്ങളും ഭക്ഷണവും, മകന്റെ വസ്ത്രങ്ങളും കവർന്നെടുത്തു.

Word by Word

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• विजने: lonely/deserted
• विजने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वने इति)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पापाध्वगगतिम्: the path/way of a sinful traveler
• पापाध्वगगतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्वग (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य अध्वगस्य गतिः)

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘gone’

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सवस्त्रम्: together with clothes
• सवस्त्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग-सदृश/प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रेण सह)

• पाथेयम्: provisions for the journey
• पाथेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाथेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्सूनोः: of that son
• तत्सूनोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य सूनोः)

• वसनानि: garments
• वसनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Post-death offerings during śrāddha-related dana (general context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dana (especially vastra-dana) becomes ‘path-provision’ for the departed; papa leads to a fearful road.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as subtle support (upakara) beyond death; dharmic acts accompany the jiva as samskara-phala.

Application: Perform charity—clothing, essentials—in memory of the deceased; live so one’s ‘road’ is not the sinner’s path.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: forest-path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Shraddha/Preta sections: vastra-dana and dana as pretayatra-sahayaka (general motif)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of offering clothes (vastra-dāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that garments offered in charity become “pātheya” (provisions) for the departed on the difficult post-death journey, especially when passing through fearful, desolate regions.

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

It portrays the departed moving through a lonely forest-like stretch associated with sinners, implying hardship on the route; supportive merits—such as clothing donations—function as practical spiritual aid on that path.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform charitable giving (especially clothing) in connection with funeral/śrāddha observances, and live ethically to avoid the “pāpādhva” (sinful road) described here.