Shloka 59

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

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्पातकाद्विप्र प्रेतत्वं प्राप्तवानहम् / सूच्यग्रप्रायविवरमुखः पर्वतदेहवान्

Transliteration

etasmātpātakādvipra pretatvaṃ prāptavānaham / sūcyagraprāyavivaramukhaḥ parvatadehavān

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രാ! ഈ പാപം മൂലം ഞാൻ പ്രേതത്വം പ്രാപിച്ചു. എന്റെ വായ് സൂചിയുടെ അഗ്രംപോലെ അതിസൂക്ഷ്മ ദ്വാരമുള്ളതാണ്; എന്റെ ദേഹം പർവ്വതംപോലെ മഹത്താണ്.

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पातकात्: from the sin
• पातकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्तवान्: having obtained / have attained
• प्राप्तवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियापदवत् ‘अहम्’ इत्यस्य सह (I have obtained)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सूच्यग्रप्रायविवरमुखः: whose mouth has an opening almost like a needle’s tip
• सूच्यग्रप्रायविवरमुखः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूची (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विवर (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष-प्रधानः; ‘सूच्यग्र-प्रायं विवरं यस्य मुखम्’ इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अहम्)

• पर्वतदेहवान्: having a mountain-like body
• पर्वतदेहवान्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + देहवत्/देहवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः: ‘पर्वत-इव देहः यस्य’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अहम्)

Speaker

A suffering preta (departed spirit) narrating its condition to a brāhmaṇa

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pātaka (sin) ripens into preta-bhāva with fitting bodily limitation and suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and embodied consequence (śarīra as karma-phalopādhi); impetus toward vairāgya.

Application: Avoid harmful/adharmic acts; cultivate restraint and charity; support śrāddha and dharma to prevent preta-suffering.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta-lakṣaṇa and hunger/thirst motifs; descriptions of constricted mouths and gigantic bodies in preta narratives

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Brahmana

FAQs

What is the importance of the preta state (pretatva) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows pretatva as a karmic consequence: the soul experiences a constrained, suffering condition with an abnormal subtle/experiential body, reflecting the fruits of specific sins.

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

It implies that wrongdoing can lead to an intermediate, restless preta condition where the being undergoes deprivation (a nearly sealed mouth) and burden (a mountain-like body) before relief through proper rites and merit.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically to avoid harmful karma, and support appropriate śrāddha and post-death rites for ancestors—traditionally understood to help prevent or alleviate preta-related distress.